Investments in health and social services in Kazakhstan reached 122.2 billion tenge (US$324.88 million) at the end of 2018, 26 percent more than a year earlier, reports finprom.kz. More than half of it, 72.5 billion tenge (US$192.75 million) or 59.4 percent, was allocated from the state budget. The investments in health and social services comprised 1.1 percent of the total investment in fixed assets. Business investments make up 35 percent of the portfolio. Almaty received 17 billion tenge (US$45.2 million), which is 18.9 percent less than a year earlier, yet still the largest amount of investment within the country. The regional akimats (administrations) plan to build 201 projects on the public-private partnership (PPP) mechanism for 1 trillion tenge (US$2.66 billion) until 2025, said Vice Minister of Healthcare Aleksey Tsoi.
The gross profit of large and medium-sized companies reached record high, 4.7 trillion tenge (US$12.49 billion), with 22.8 percent growth at the end of the third quarter in 2018. Compared to the previous quarter, gross profit increased by 10.2 percent. The product volume and services by the companies totalled to 8.3 trillion tenge (US$22.07 billion). In terms of the sales volume, mining and quarrying dominate the industry, comprising 30.8 percent of the total. The companies sold products worth 2.5 trillion tenge (US$6.65 billion), 44.1 percent more than the year before. The manufacturing industry stand second with product volume and services sold for 1.7 trillion tenge, 15.8 percent year-on-year (yoy). The third biggest sector is in transport and warehousing. It comprises 14.6 percent (1.2 trillion tenge or US$3.19 billion).
Kazakhstan produced 26,400 tonnes of fresh chilled and frozen fish (+0.2 percent yoy), 11,200 tonnes of processed or canned fish, caviar and its substitutes (-4.7 percent yoy). The main production of fish, crustaceans and molluscs is concentrated in Atyrau, East Kazakhstan, Kyzylorda, West Kazakhstan and Turkestan regions. Because of comprehensive works to restore the Small Aral Sea, catch volumes have increased by 36 percent in the Kyzylorda region over the past five years. The region caught 8,477 tonnes of fish in 2018. Authorities continue creating opportunities for fishing industry revival in the region. To date, the region has eight fish factories with a capacity of 11,000 tonnes per year, which are engaged in stocking, fishing, and processing.
Kazakhstan produced 140,700 tonnes of phosphate fertilisers over 2018, 15 percent less year-on-year. The production volume is still big over the past years because 2017 was marked with a rapid increase in the fertilisers production by 48.3 percent that reached 165,500 tonnes. Before 2017, the country produced roughly 90,000 tonnes per annum. The Zhambyl region produced almost 88 percent (123,300 tonnes) of phosphate fertilisers in 2018. The products of Kazakh companies keep dominating in the market. Although the import increased from 7.1 tonnes in 2017 to 75.5 tonnes in 2018, it accounted for only 0.1 percent of total resources in the market. The exports doubled in a year, but they comprise slightly more than 3 percent of the available resources.
The off-season fresh vegetables prices markedly increased in January. The cucumbers (+ 20.4 percent) and tomatoes (+17.3 percent) had the most significant growth in price, reports energyprom.kz. Also, there were increase in prices of cabbage (by 4.8 percent), garlic (4.4 percent) and onions (3 percent). The prices for winter vegetables of long-term storage, such as potatoes, carrots and beans rose less than 1 percent per month. As for fruits, bananas had a more significant price increase by 2.9 percent, while prices for apples and lemons declined less than 1 percent per month. The prices for products of animal origin stayed the same. The poultry farm products rose by less than 2 percent per month. The dairy products prices increased by less than 1 percent. A similar pattern is observed among meat and fish products.
