Issues regarding development of small and medium business and implementation of related instructions of the President were discussed at a Jan. 22 media briefing with Mazhilis (lower chamber of the Parliament) Member and head of the Ak Zhol Party’s faction in the Mazhilis Azat Peruashev. “The President called small and medium-sized enterprises the main instrument of industrial and social modernisation. It is much easier for small and medium-sized enterprises to respond to the current challenges. Their organisational expenses are less. Therefore, SME entities are the driving force of diversification and innovation in opening new sectors of the economy and enriching industrial output in all counties,” Peruashev said at the Central Communications Service briefing. “The President has urged cancelling all inactive regulations hindering business development; our party will follow suit by pursuing similar reforms,” he noted.
“I think it is necessary to establish a scientific and innovation centre under the Atyrau Social-Entrepreneurship Corporation and oil extracting companies should be involved in the work of this centre,” said Akim (Governor) Baktykozha Izmukhambetov of the Atyrau region, according to a Jan. 22 report of the Kazinform news agency. “The President’s state-of-the-nation address reads that one of the key tasks is creating a knowledge intensive economy and increasing the potential of the scientists of Kazakhstan. As noted, development of new knowledge-intensive spheres of the economy requires financing of science in an amount no less than three percent of GDP. This should be done in the Atyrau region. Financing of some specific scientific research impacting development of the economy should be taken into account,” Izmukhambetov said. According to him, the region has about 40 oil producing companies. “However, it is difficult to say that all of them meet allocation requirements of one percent of the budget for scientific research. As a result of the loss of finance resources, scientists will be left without support. Therefore, I believe we need to establish a science and innovation centre under the Atyrau Social-Entrepreneurship Corporation where oil companies will be involved,” he added.
A Pavlodar plant producing methyl tert-butyl ether and polypropylene is ready to start implementation of the second five-year phase of the Programme of Accelerated Industrial and Innovative Development, the 24.kz TV channel reported. The enterprise has successfully reached its intended output and now plans to conduct comprehensive modernisation of the production process. A modern petrochemical facility is to be built there soon. The plant was launched five years ago and impressive results were achieved there over this period. The production of an enhancive additive and polypropylene was launched at the plant. The second five-year stage of the industrialisation programme is aimed at developing extracting industries. The export potential of the oil and gas and mining sectors will be built up. In this context, the plant plays an important role. The plant holds great opportunities for development. It is planned to switch the plant over to operating on natural gas in order to make it more environmentally friendly.
An international conference “Current Issues in Planning Water-Supply and Wastewater Disposal Systems in Kazakh Municipalities” was held on Jan. 23 in Astana. The conference included a dialogue platform for the open discussion of how to increase the quality of planning in construction in Kazakhstan (legislation, efficient equipment usage) and issues of professional preparation of specialists. Representatives of the Committee for Construction Affairs and Housing Utilities, Kazakhstansky Vodokanalproekt company, Lev Gumilyov Eurasian National University, Karlskrona Company and international experts from France, Spain, Switzerland, Russia and Germany took part. The event was held at the Gumilyov Eurasian National University.
