GOVERNMENT: Islamic banks to join implementation of Business Road Map-2020 program

The Government approved the measures on implementation of "Business Road Map - 2020", a unified program of business support and development. These measures include: microloan program for small businesses; subsidizing interest rate of small enterprises' microloans; partial credit guarantees for small enterprises; partial subsidizing the markup on the goods and rent payment which make the income of Islamic banks when they finance individual businesses.

As Statistics Committee of the Ministry of National Economy says, mutual trade between Kazakhstan and EEU countries decreased in Jan-Jul 2015. It made 7 bln 805 mln 900 thousand US dollars which is 21% less than in the same period of the previous year. Besides, export made 2 bln 351 mln 100 thousand having reduced by 26.8%. Alongside, short-term economic indicator in Kazakhstan rose by 1.7% in H1 2015. Fixed investment volume in Jan-Jul 2015 made 3 trln 319 bln 3 mln tenge that is 4% higher against the same period in 2014. Industry sector reports growth of production by 2% while in agriculture this index made 2.9%. The volume of retail trade in Kazakhstan in the given period grew by 2.9% compared to H1 2014 with non-foods dominating in its structure (64.7% of the total volume, 2.9% growth). Food products sale rose by 2.3%. The Ministry of Healthcare and Social Development informed that in the first half of 2015 the number of people involved in public works made 54,400. 32,700 of them or 60% are the residents of rural areas. Compared to the first half of 2014, this index rose significantly by 1,042 people. The number of females involved in public works this year is 17,700 or about 30%. 4,600 people are disadvantaged citizens. The Ministry of Investments and Development is highly interested in maintaining employment, thus activating geological exploration works under the updated Socio Economic Development Plan of Zhezkazgan, Satpayev towns and Ulytau municipality. In 2015 JSC Kazgeology was commissioned to carry out exploring, prospecting and evaluating work in regards to 10 projects worth KZT 1 bln. Kazgeology has completed airborne geophysical survey at Altynshokinsky site (Karaganda region) using ZTEM method. In addition, there have been completed drilling on the southern flank of Itauyz deposit. 1655.1 linear meters were drilled. Field exploration works are being carried out on Saryadyr site. Multi-function electrical exploration using Canadian equipment of "Phoenix Geophysics" is started in Kireysko-Oparsky and Tastinsky sites in Karaganda region. It should be noted that this year in the framework of joint projects foreign investors started exploration work in Korgantas, Balkhash-Saryshagan, Besshoky, Dyusembaev sites. Foreign investment in 2015 is about 1 billion tenge. The Ministry of Education plans to introduce the standards of the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) countries in the system of additional education. This was announced by Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Kazakhstan Yessengazy Imangaliyev told at the national conference on development of the system of additional education of children in Kazakhstan titled "Open the world of children's art". The deputy minister emphasized that the standards of education were renewed in Kazakhstan in order to improve the system of additional education of children. As of today, 1.6 million schoolboys or 60.5% are embraced with the additional education. However, the children throughout the country do not have equal access to additional education, which has to be corrected. A meeting of the Expert Board of the Security Council on "Migration and Demographic Policies of the Republic of Kazakhstan" was held in Akorda under the chairmanship of the President's Aide - Security Council Secretary Nurlan Yermekbayev. Minister of Healthcare and Social Development T.Duissenova, heads of structural divisions of the Presidential Administration, central governmental structures, local scientific-research institutions and NGOs experts participated in the meeting. The participants noted that internal and external migration, demographic policy have been important factors of Kazakhstan's sustainable development. Provision of academic and expert support in raising the efficiency of migration and demographic policies implementation were discussed in detail. According to the Committee on Statistics under the Ministry of National Development, the number of foreign migrants entering the country has decreased. The number of registered arrivals to the country for permanent residence in January-June 2015 compared to the same period of the last year decreased by 0.7 percent and amounted to 8,384 people. The number of migrants who left the country increased by 11.4 percent and amounted to 12 028 people. The main migration exchange comes from the CIS. Kazakh Foreign Minister Erlan Idrissov congratulated "Kazinform" on its 95th anniversary. Foreign Affairs Minister noted, thanks to Kazinform it is possible to see which way Kazakhstan has been going. "Thanks to a wide correspondent network in Kazakhstan and in foreign countries and the availability of different language versions Kazinform continues to provide its readers with the reliable information about the key events in Kazakhstan and worldwide as quick as possible," E. Idrissov noted. In addition, the Minister wished the team of Kazinform future success and many years of active and productive work.