ASTANA – The Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs (NCE) is offering to conduct a detailed study of each region’s socio-economic potential, promising to provide financial support for successful business projects that comply with the results. The announcement came at a meeting with Pavlodar region entrepreneurs.
Photo credit: atameken.kz
The screenings will identify promising entrepreneurial niches and form regional development maps to create and finance new business projects, according to Atameken.kz.
“We proposed for the government to conduct such screenings in all regions of the country, including here in the Pavlodar region. This will determine the real potential of the region for business development. Based on the information received, a regional development map will be prepared, which implies a clear specialisation. The Pavlodar region is industrial, but there are also good conditions for the development of agriculture. The map will reflect all the points of growth of your agro-industry and manufacturing industry and the needs for them. We will be able to see which projects need to be created and maintained at the expense of the national budget, which ones through commercial banks and which ones at the expense of regional resources,” said Atameken presidium chairperson Timur Kulibayev.
The screenings will allow adjusting the road maps according to the real needs of the region. For example, a screening last year involving more than 16,000 households and 7,000 entrepreneurs in Saryagash district of the South Kazakhstan region determined the actual number of unemployed and self-employed residents. Most importantly, it showed the region’s migration potential and the need for creating certain business projects with new jobs. The expectations and needs of the local population and entrepreneurs were at odds with the vision of the akimat (local government) and its regional business development roadmap.
Atameken will continue the practice of creating microfinance organisations (MFOs) involving the funds of large investors, companies and holdings to provide affordable financing for potential entrepreneurs. The MFOs experienced good repayment of their loans, significantly exceeding the return on bank loans.
“With this programme we want to cover all categories of the population, but one’s desire to start a business is not enough – everyone understands this. There must be certain conditions for this. For example, university students will not just focus on studying entrepreneurship, but if there is a successful business plan, we will help financially. Women’s entrepreneurship is now gaining momentum. We intend to finance projects that will be approved by the Council of Business Women at the NCE as well,” he added.
Kulibayev highlighted the activities of businesswomen in the Pavlodar region, who last year started 102 service, education, cattle breeding, and bakery enterprises. Currently, 15,000 of its 44,000 businesses are run by women.
