36th plenary meeting of Foreign Investors' Council kicks off in Astana
The 36th plenary meeting of the Foreign Investors' Council (FIC) under the President of Kazakhstan kicked off at the Palace of Independence in the Kazakh capital of Astana, Kazinform News Agency correspondent reports.
Last year’s edition of the Foreign Investors' Council discussed digital transformation of the economy. “Geopolitical tension and growing protectionism are changing the global economy. However, as time proved, each crisis gives new opportunities, said Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The Kazakh President noted that digitalization, being an enormous technological breakthrough, provides such opportunities.
Increasing digitalization already defines today’s agenda, having some big impacts on economic development. Broader implementation of new concept and technologies such as AI, blockchain, IoT, big data is a game-changing trend in all spheres from agriculture to finance. Digitalization is already a key factor of competitiveness of many countries and regions. It’s expected that the global market of digital technologies is to rise by 50% and will amount to 6.8 trillion US dollars by 2025. According to the forecast, up to 70% world goods and services will be produced with the use of digital technologies in the next 10 years. And, Kazakhstan clearly understands the crucial importance of this trend. Not long ago, 62 countries unanimously supported the establishment of the UN Digital Solutions Center for the sustainable development of Central Asia in Kazakhstan, which is regarded as a symbol of trust and a major step on the road towards the global arena, stated the Kazakh leader.
Established in 1998, the Foreign Investors' Council provides direct dialogue between the Kazakh government and foreign investors for efficient settlement of problematic issues related to their investment activity in the country and a better investment climate in Kazakhstan.
