ASTANA. May 12. KAZINFORM /Muratbek Makulbekov/ Electric-power consumption and production have decreased this year. Kazakh Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources Sauat Mynbayev has made it public at the Government’s session; Kazinform reports. The Minister noted that recently the energy deficit was a factor, which hinders Kazakhstan’s development. Beside, there is an imbalance in the country’s regions in production and consumption of energy. The Minister told about the projects, which are directed to correction of the situation with ensuring electricity in the southern regions. S.Mynbayev noted that a level of energy consumption will reach the 2008 level by 2012, and then the consumption will increase. According to him, today’s energy consumption decrease connected with the world crisis allows to take measures for stable ensuring all regions with electricity in the future. Existing power plants will give a big part of increase in energy production. According to S.Mynbayev, the issues of financing of power plants necessary for modernization and increase of capacities were solved by tariff policy change. In accordance with the Government’s resolution limit electricity tariff will increase in 2009-2015. The corresponding treaties between the Ministry and enterprises were signed. In the nearest months enterprises manufacturing energy will make amendments to their development programs till 2015. These programs will include their obligations on investing, which form KZT 60 bln.