The number of small enterprises in Kazakhstan increased by 2 percent in one month and by 15 percent over the year, reports finprom.kz. At the end of November, the number of operating enterprises reached 279,200. Small enterprises comprise 96.9 percent of the total number of businesses in the country. The largest number of active enterprises – 36,900 – are focused on trade, and that area of business grew 17.4 percent compared to last year. Following are construction and education, in which 15,800 and 15,000 small businesses operate, respectively. The largest increase in the number of enterprises was in construction (26 percent), information and communication (24.9 percent), and administrative and support services (23.4 percent). The cities with the largest number of enterprises are Almaty with 36,000, Astana with 25,000 and Karagandy with 11,000.
BI Group Holding announced the simplification of the housing loan registration process with the launch of the BI Finance Mortgage Centre, tengrinews.kz reports. The Mortgage Centre will allow clients to submit all documents for the purchase of an apartment at a single office, at one time. BI Group has partnered with House Construction Savings Bank, Kazakhstan Mortgage Company, Sberbank and Bank Centre Credit in the venture. Last year, the apartment’s registration of the holding through the mortgage composed 5.9 percent. This year, it reached 10 to 15 percent. In 2019, according to the company’s plans, it will reach 25 to 30 percent.
Kazakh companies exported 212,000 tonnes of leguminous plants worth $60 million in the first nine months of 2018, which is a significant increase in comparison to previous years, kapital.kz notes. In 2016, the country exported 77,000 tonnes of pulses; in 2017, it was 138,000 tonnes. Exported products commonly include peas, beans, chickpeas and lentils. Remaining a loyal costumer of Kazakh agricultural products, Afghanistan bought more than 21,000 tonnes of pulses for approximately $6 million. Iran purchased 7,000 tonnes of leguminous plants, primarily lentils, for $2 million this year. Uzbekistan purchased 10,000 tonnes of products, mainly dried peas, for $1.8 million. The biggest buyer of Kazakh lentils, Turkey, purchased 123,000 tonnes of lentils for $39 million. Spain is a new major customer, buying 42,500 tonnes of Kazakh agricultural products.
Kazakh producers provided more than 88 percent of the demand for gasoline, 99.9 percent of which was sold in the domestic market, reports energyprom.kz. Over 10 months of this year, Kazakhstan produced 3.3 million tonnes of gasoline (including for aviation), which is 27.3 percent more than in the previous year. Due to the growth of production and an import substitution policy, gasoline imports decreased by almost 52 percent to 374,500 tonnes. Exports increased by 34.2 percent to reach 2,900 tonnes.
The Kazakh Medical Social Insurance Fund (MSIF) paid 77.1 billion tenge (US$207.78 million) to state and private medical services providers of the capital, kapital.kz reports. This is approximately 87 percent of the total sum of contracts, which reached 88.8 billion tenge (US$239.31 million). The most was spent on hospital and hospital-replacing care at 25.6 billion tenge or US$68.99 million. Following that were expenditures on high-tech medical services (20.7 billion tenge or US$55.78 million) and outpatient care (10.4 billion tenge or US$28.02 million). Eighty-five medical organisations provided the services, 36 of them public and 49 private. The MSIF provides funding for Kazakhstan’s guaranteed free medical care and compulsory social medical insurance and purchases services for the population within the limits set by the government.
The members of the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) are now marking a list of products to help ensure goods are circulating legally, reports kapital.kz. The marking regulations are intended also to protect the rights of consumers and reduce the shadow economy. The EAEU Council unanimously approved the list of marked goods making its analysis. In the absence of the decision on the introduction of certain goods marking on the territory of the union, the initiator state has the right to introduce marking in accordance with its legislation. However, in case of intent, other states may join the marking.
