KAZAKSTAN TURNS POWER GRID OVER TO ABB.

Kazakstan yesterday handed its electrical power transmission network over to the Swedish-Swiss company Asea Brown-Boveri under a 25-year concession agreement. ABB will operate the system, pay off its wage arrears, invest $1.4 billion in it, and collect 15 percent of net profits. ABB will sell the electricity at tariffs set by Kazakstan’s Anti-Monopoly Committee jointly with the company. (Financial Information Agency, April 24). Kazakstan is a regional leader regarding trust management and concession arrangements with Western firms.

Mobilizing the Home Front.