Kentau Industrial Zone Development Begins

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The Kentau transformer plant has become one of the most successful enterprises regionally, shipping its products for exports.

KENTAU, SOUTH KAZAKHSTAN – Kentau is the only town of seven cities in southern Kazakhstan included in the single industry towns’ development programme. To return to its former glory, the town, with a population of 80,000 people, is banking on the development of small- and medium-sized businesses. The establishment of an industrial zone and a regional office of the Centre of Business Services will actively promote entrepreneurship in the area.

A 41-hectare plot has been allocated for the industrial zone and its construction is scheduled for the first quarter of 2013. The state will cover expenditures for the creation of all necessary infrastructure and communications equipment. The national budget has provided 1.447 billion tenge for this purpose.

Special grants are provided for small- and medium-sized businesses, but the sum does not exceed three million tenge for each grant. This is not the only programme that aims to support local businesses in this mining town. From now on, local entrepreneurs can apply to the office of the recently opened Centre of Business Service to learn more about mechanisms of state support and choose an appropriate programme to organise their own business. Office staff will help them with the selection of funding sources, provide information and advice on establishing and running a business, collect documents for loans from second tier banks and provide other support.

Five entrepreneurs have already received approval for their projects. Bauyrzhan Tulemuratov intends to produce pens and promotional pens in the industrial zone in Kentau. Constructing a building and buying equipment will cost 15 million tenge, according to preliminary calculations. Tulemuratov said that a production capacity of 10 million pens will involve 15 employees. The manager of the centre is now analysing the project to determine the source and mechanism of its funding and will accompany the project up to its full implementation.


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