SMEs in Kazakhstan single-industry towns develop in six directions - Vice Minister of Regional Development Serik Zhumangarin

"For economic development of single-industry towns we have provided a big package of tools. But the most important is the development of SMEs, which is carried out in six directions. All single-industry towns are implementing a program to create anchor projects - large productions with a minimum of 100 jobs. In many towns, such enterprises are already in operation," Zhumangarin said.

In addition, he said that the main national companies planned to set up subsidiary productions in these towns.

"For example, in Zhanatas and Karatau it is planned to start the largest investment project "Eurochem", and to build a railway in Zhezkazgan and Arkalyk," the Vice Minister noted.

It should be noted that subsidies provided to single-industry towns under "Business Road Map 2020" amount to 10%, while in the rest towns it is 7%.

This year, 34 billion tenge will be allocated for the development of single-industry towns. Totally, it is planned to allocate 120 billion tenge for three years. Of course, there are some economic difficulties. Maybe fewer funds will be provided for infrastructure, but in any case, the money will be in single-industry towns," he stressed.

The Vice Minister said that small and single-industry towns will apply the concept of territory marketing. "Our mission is to identify the factors that make the town become interesting to people," Zhumangarin added.

"For example, a transport hub, an industrial city, a tourist center, a city with a history. It is known that towns like Shchuchinsk, Saryagash, Karkaraly will be developed as tourist clusters," the Deputy Minister of Regional Development concluded.