WEEKLY REVIEW: Kazakhstan boosts development of its regions
Monday, May 21, this program was adopted at the Government's sitting. KZT 38.2 billion is allotted for single-industry towns development in 2013, Minister of Economic Development and Trade Bakytzhan Sagintayev announced. In addition, KZT 43.2 and 53.9 billion will be spent on the same purposes in 2014 and 2015 respectively.
"The draft program suggests development of the package plans for towns not featured into the list of single-industry cities," B. Sagintayev added. According to him, financing will be implemented at the expense of the local budgets. Large cities are to be financed using republican budget funds whereas financing for small towns will be provided by the regions. The implementation of the program is divided into two stages - 2013-2015 and 2015-2020.
Akims of the regions are to develop and submit to the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade the package plans for single-industry towns development, Bakytzhan Sagintayev said at the Governmental session. A working group under the Ministry will take a look at these package plans and submit them for the approval of the inter-agency committee for regional policy. Economic potential and opportunities of the single-industry cities will be checked within the program. The program provides implementation of the anchor investment projects aimed at long-term diversification of single-industry cities' economy. For this purpose, akims of the regions are to suggest at least 3 projects for each single-industry city.
The same day, Kazakh Emergency Minster Vladimir Bozhko told the Government Hour at the Majilis that emergencies rates in 2011 dropped by 18.4%, number of injured by 16.2% and death toll by 18.9% as compared to 2010. "Emergency Ministry services rescued 8 662 people, evacuated 10 184 from emergency areas, rendered medical and psychological assistance to 2 499, extinguished 15 000 fires in 2011 and the first quarter of 2012," he added.
The same day, Deputy Prime Minister Yerbol Orynbayev reported that Kazakhstan developed the fifth direction of the program "Business Road Map 2020" - in terms of attracting investment to the regions, first of all, from the Customs Union, using the tools of the program. As part of the Business Road Map more than 1,000 different agreements to subsidize small-and medium-sized businesses were signed, more than 25,000 entrepreneurs have been trained and received service support.
Tuesday, May 22, the 25th jubilee plenary session of the Foreign Investors' Council (FIC) under the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan took place in Astana. During the meeting, there were various proposals from foreign partners. In particular, the management of Sberbank of Russia has asked to cancel some of the limitations for the bank in Kazakhstan. Following the meeting, President Nursultan Nazarbayev instructed the Government to consider the proposals of foreign investors and make concrete decisions on each issue.
During the II Eurasian Business Council on Tuesday Vice Prime Minister Kairat Kelimbetov stated that Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus prepared a calendar plan on interaction between their business communities until 2015. In addition, the Single Economic Space member states are working on an anti-crisis plan in case of deterioration of the situation in the global markets.
Wednesday, May 23, Kazakh First Vice Premier Serik Akhmetov announced that under the state program "Affordable housing 2020" it is planned to increase construction of housing in Kazakhstan to 10 million square meters.
The same day, during the Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan's official visit to Kazakhstan the two countries signed "New Synergy" Joint Economic Program, which is aimed at bringing trade-economic and investment cooperation to a new level. The program is expected to increase trade volume up to USD 10 billion.
Thursday, May 24, Kazakh Prime Minister received EurAsEC Secretary General Tair Mansurov. The sides discussed the issues of publishing of a book titled "The Eurasian Project of Nursultan Nazarbayev Embodied in Life" in the Kazakh and English languages, as well as implementation of interstate programs.
Friday, May 25, Kazakh Minister of Healthcare Salidat Kairbekova met with Bulgarian delegation headed by Health Minister Desislava Atanasova. The sides discussed the opportunity of expanding cooperation under the agreement between the governments of Kazakhstan and Bulgaria on cooperation in the field of healthcare and medicine as of 25 September 2003. Kairbekova invited Bulgarian investors to discuss investment projects in health sector and backed the proposal of the Bulgarian side to establish joint health institution.