President's Address to Nation: Development of business and ensuring food security - key objectives for regions

In particular, the Head of the State sets a number of strategic goals. Thus, by 2014 over 80% of the domestic food market must be saturated with the local food products. As N. Nazarbayev notes, Kazakhstan has enough potential to reach this aim.

Besides, the President considers that business is a driving force of the new economy. |Entrepreneurship will become a core of the economic diversification We want to see a strong entrepreneurship class which is ready to assume new risks, explore new markets and implement innovations. Namely businessmen are a driving force of economic modernization", N. Nazarbayev said.

In this view, the Head of the State charged the Cabinet to introduce a single budgetary program on development of entrepreneurship in the regions by 2010, named later as Business Road Map - 2020.

The program is aimed at creation of constant jobs through the development of small and medium businesses in the regions.

No wonder that within the working trip to Akmola oblast on July 7 Head of the Government K. Massimov noted that implementation of Business Road Map-2020 program was of paramount importance. Therefore the akim of the oblast, banks and businessmen must give special attention to this direction, K. Massimov said. He stressed that Business Road Map-2020 "aims at development of national production and creation of jobs for Kazakhstani citizens".

The program is implemented in three directions: assistance to new business-initiatives, recovery of business sector and maintaining export-oriented productions. KZT 30 bln has been allocated from the national budget for its implementation this year.

During the working visit to the North Kazakhstan oblast on July 8 K. Massimov surveyed Basko LLP meat-processing plant in Tayinsha district where he got familiarized with the work of the enterprise, checked out quality of the products, the prospects of agricultural products export to the Russian markets and pricing policy issues.

The enterprise was put into service June 22, 2010 and employs 175 people. The modern equipment at the venture allows manufacturing various kinds of sausages, delicatessens and semi-prepared foods which are expected to be sold on the domestic market.

The Prime Minister visited also Tayinsha Astyk LLP - a dairy complex functioning since 2008. The annual capacity of the complex is 8, 500 tons of milk and 200 tons of meat.

Issues regarding ensuring food security in the country were also discussed within the Prime Minister's trip around the oblast. Thus, K. Massimov said that the Government would fund transportation of last year grain from the North Kazakhstan oblast to the West Kazakhstan. "Many grain elevators in the region have unsold last year grain. The Government will allocate money for transportation it to western regions of Kazakhstan such as Uralsk, Aktobe. Unfortunately this summer weather is not favorable and the harvest might not be very good. We will empty grain elevators here so they could receive new crop", K. Massimov said.

Noteworthy to say, that yesterday Vice Minister of Agriculture Arman Yevniyev informed of the crop forecast in 2010. Thus, this year Kazakhstan expects to get 14.5-15.5 mln tons of crop. "Unfortunately, this year we will not gather the same volume of grain as it was in 2009. We forecast to get 14.5-15.5 mln tons of harvest", A. Yevniyev said.