Articles by Botagoz Baltabayeva

Shymkent oil refinery completes first stage modernisation

ASTANA – The first stage of modernisation at the Shymkent oil refinery has been completed and new equipment is in place to produce only high-octane gasoline and diesel fuel of K4 and K5 ecological classes, according to a document signed recently by refinery officials. The document specifies that the upgrading of the refinery’s largest facility…

Kazakhstan pushes transition to green economy  with help from ADB, clean energy fund

ASTANA – Renewable energy resources in Kazakhstan produced 32 percent (up to 928 million kilowatt-hours) more energy in 2016 compared to the previous year. However, the share of renewable sources of energy in total output remains less than 1 percent. Wind power stations increased output the most, nearly doubling their output to  130 million kilowatt-hours.…

Healthcare minister reports positive trends in vaccinations, infant mortality

ASTANA – For the first time in the post-Soviet space, Kazakhstan has begun vaccinating children against pneumococcal infection, said Minister of Healthcare Yelzhan Birtanov at an expanded meeting of the board of the ministry dedicated to the results of 2016 and the tasks for 2017. “To date, two regions of the country are covered by…

Kazakh, Uzbek Delegations Discuss Agro and Industrial Cooperation

ASTANA – A business forum with the participation of Kyzylorda and Navoi region business people was held recently as part of the working visit of a Kyzylorda region delegation to Uzbekistan. The authorities discussed plans for cooperation, particularly in the industrial sector and agro-processing. The perspectives of the Navoi free industrial and economic zone established…

Kazakh Air Force Adds Four Cutting-Edge Attack Helicopters

ASTANA – Four new, multipurpose Mi-35M attack helicopters were delivered to a Kazakh Air Force Base in the south of the country. The helicopters are the first of their kind to be used by the Kazakh Air Force, according to a release from the Ministry of Defence. The delivery of the helicopters was part of…

TCO Projects to Employ 18,000 Kazakhs, Calculations for Expat Workforce Revised

ASTANA – Tengizchevroil (TCO) plans to hire up to 18,000 Kazakh citizens and is committed to continuing personnel education and training as part of the Tengiz Future Growth Project and the Wellhead Pressure Management Project, Vice Minister of Labour and Social Protection of Population Birzhan Nurymbetov told a Jan. 30 forum on the projects. Nurymbetov…

Zinc Production Reached 325,500 Tonnes in 2016

ASTANA – Production of unprocessed zinc in Kazakhstan reached 325,500 tonnes in 2016, which is 0.5 percent more than in 2015. Kazakhstan exports almost 90 percent of its produced zinc. Domestic demand has grown by 38,700 tonnes, almost a third, in the last 11 months. Exports, on the other hand, fell by 3.2 percent to…

Pavlodar Police Officer Saves Life of 8-Year-Old Boy

Pavlodar Police Department of Internal Affairs Sergeant Daulet Mukhamedsalykov recently saved the life of an 8-year-old boy, by getting him out of a manhole in which the boy accidentally fell. Mukhamedsalykov was driving his own vehicle on his day off when he saw the boy run across the road and suddenly disappear from his view…

Winners of ‘On the Silk Road Together’ Competition Revealed

ASTANA – Twenty-four winners of the best publications about China recently received awards in the On the Silk Road Together competition in Astana. The contest was dedicated to the 25th anniversary of establishing diplomatic relations between the two countries and was organised by the Kazakhstanskaya Pravda newspaper and the embassy of China in Kazakhstan. The…

Kazakh President Meets with Two of Country’s Innovative Young Entrepreneurs

ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev met with two of the country’s promising young entrepreneurs during the Dec. 1 National Youth Forum in Astana. Young entrepreneur from Karaganda and founder of the Otan Patrioty (“The Country’s Patriot”) watch brand Arman Toskanbayev gave the President a watch. Toskanbayev, who at 25 years old is the same…

Kazakh Farmers Adapting to Chinese Market

ASTANA – In order to seize the Chinese market, Kazakh farmers need to unite in cooperatives, said National Chamber of Entrepreneurs Atameken Deputy Chairperson Nurzhan Altayev during a briefing on promoting his nation’s products. China currently ranks third in the world in food imports after the European Union and the United States. The country imports…

Kazakhstan Approves Car Recycling Programme

ASTANA – A programme to purchase old cars will be launched in Kazakhstan. A car must not exceed 3.5 tonnes or seven seats. Instead of cars, the owner will receive financial compensation, the amount of which varies depending on the configuration of the car. If the car is fully assembled, the payment will be 150,000…

New Kazakhstan Tourist Attraction: Observation Wheel in Almaty

ASTANA – A new 60-metre tall Ferris wheel, similar to London’s famous wheel, will open Oct. 2 in Almaty. It will be equipped with 40 closed cabins with 208 seats. Each of the cabins will also have climate control and audio guide systems in Kazakh, Russian and English. “We decided to construct the wheel four…