Phased plan developed to transfer Kazakh alphabet to Latin script
ASTANA – A draft action plan has been developed detailing the phased transfer of the Kazakh alphabet to Latin script by 2025. Sacral Geography of Kazakhstan, a special project within the Ruhani Janghyru (Modernisation of Kazakhstan) programme, is also being implemented. Vice Minister of Culture and Sports Yerlan Kozhagapanov reported on the progress to execute…
First virtual museum launches in Taldykorgan
ASTANA – The first virtual museum in Kazakhstan recently launched in Taldykorgan, 24.kz reported. A group of young artists created the “Zhetysu 360” project under the Digital Kazakhstan programme. It will be possible to see the unique places of the region on different digital media, at any time and free of charge. The main requirement…
History of dombra exhibition opens in Atyrau
ASTANA – An exhibition recently opened in Atyrau’s local history museum on the history of the Kazakh folk instrument, dombra. A dombra is a round and flat two-stringed instrument made of pine, maple, hazel and oak. The exhibit includes 65 dombras and discusses the evolution of the instrument and how it is made. “Dombra is…
Almaty hosts International Digital Kazakhstan summit
ASTANA – Investments in human capital play a key role in developing the digital industry. State officials, businesspeople and scientists at the Feb. 2 International Digital Kazakhstan summit in Almaty discussed IT trends, focusing specifically on the Digital Kazakhstan programme and biometrics. They noted the dual approach is an effective strategy in creating business IT…
Kazakh bank loan portfolios decline for fourth straight year
ASTANA – The loan portfolio among Kazakh banks declined 12 percent, and assets 5 percent, in 2017. Fifteen of 32 banks operating in the country had a negative return on assets, reported finprom.kz. By the end of 2017, the assets of the 32 banks reached 24.2 trillion tenge (US$75.02 billion), 0.2 percent more than in…
Kazakhstan launches sales of uniquely numbered, lettered license plates
ASTANA – Drivers in Kazakhstan can now reserve and purchase uniquely numbered license plates through the Government for Citizens Corporation front offices. This service was launched by the state corporation jointly with the Ministry of Internal Affairs on Jan. 15, the press service of the company reported. “You can buy ‘beautiful’ license numbers, not only…
All restrictions dropped on Kazakh airline flights to EU
ASTANA – All restrictions have been dropped on Kazakh airline flights to European Union (EU) countries, according to Minister for Investment and Development Zhenis Kassymbek. Five domestic carriers (Air Astana, Comlux, KazAirJet, Prime Aviation and SCAT) are cleared for take-off. The International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) commission audited aviation security Nov. 22-30, completing a comprehensive…
Kazakh universities must provide highly-qualified human capital
ASTANA – Kazakh universities should provide a new quality of human capital, a task President Nursultan Nazarbayev set for the schools during his recent state-of-the-nation address. Al-Farabi Kazakh National University (KazNU) is already implementing the model of a new generation university, which rector Galym Mutanov reported during a discussion of the talk with university activists,…
Atyrau refinery launches production of K4, K5 diesel standards
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s Atyrau refinery has switched to K4 and K5 diesel fuel production that meets ecological standards, Kazinform reported. “The Atyrau refinery began shipping diesel fuel of ecological classes K4 and K5 (equivalent to Euro-4, Euro-5) from Jan.1. This became possible after a major overhaul in the diesel section of the KU HBD, where…
Kazakh National Bank lays out strict rules for collections agencies’ behaviour
ASTANA – The National Bank of Kazakhstan has announced what will be considered legal methods of interaction between collection agencies and debtors. On Jan. 9, representatives of the National Bank met with employees of collection agencies and public associations, the press service of the regulator reported. Representatives of the National Bank announced legally permitted ways…
Kazakh HR agencies will join the Electronic Labour Exchange
ASTANA – Internet sites and private employment agencies are connecting with the Electronic Labour Exchange www.enbek.kz, the press service of the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Republic of Kazakhstan reported. “Today, four internet sites have already joined the electronic labour exchange: hipo.kz, market.kz, rabota.nur.kz, zarplata.kz. Search for vacancies posted on these Internet…
Kazakh short track racer to carry flag during 2018 Winter Olympic opening
ASTANA – Kazakhstan short-track player Abzal Azhgaliyev has been named flag bearer and captain of the Kazakh team for the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang, the National Olympic Committee of Kazakhstan press service reported Jan. 9. “Only today I learned that I was chosen as the standard-bearer of the Kazakhstan national team at the Olympic Games.…
Halyk Bank board of directors approves merger with Qazkom
ASTANA – The Halyk Bank board of directors has approved a merger with Kazkommertsbank (Qazkom). The agreement will be finalised after passing all necessary procedures, including appropriate coordination with regulatory bodies. “After five months of painstaking work with international consultants, we can confidently state that the potential of the transaction is huge both in scale…
1.2 million tonnes of cargo to be transported through Trans-Caspian route by year’s end
ASTANA – Rather than the initial plan of 700,000 tonnes of cargo, approximately 1.2 million tonnes will be transported through the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) by the end of the year, reported the Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) press service. Members of the TITR international association met recently in the capital. Speaking about the corridor’s…
Kazakh President meets with nation’s new Supreme Mufti
ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev recently congratulated Serikbay kazhy Oraz on his election as the nation’s Supreme Mufti, the highest official of the Spiritual Administration of Muslims of Kazakhstan. “I invited you on the eve of Independence Day in order to congratulate you on your election to such a high post. Thanks to our…
Three ice towns built in Astana for winter amusement
ASTANA – Three ice towns were built in the capital for New Year’s and opened Dec. 18, said the city’s department of culture, archives and documentation. The main ice town is located on the expo grounds. EXPO 2017: Future Energy was chosen as the main focus, with the idea of conducting a tour of the…
Largest Chinese bank considering opening subsidiary in Kazakhstan
ASTANA – China Construction Bank (CCB) is considering opening a subsidiary in Kazakhstan as a result of negotiations between the governments. The parties understand the important role of Kazakhstan as a link in China’s Belt and Road Initiative and the nation’s financial institutions. Kazakh Ambassador to China Shakhrat Nuryshev met with CCB board chair Tian…
New chairman of Kazakh Invest appointed
ASTANA – Saparbek Tuyakbayev was recently appointed chairman of the board of Kazakh Invest national company. Tuyakbaev was appointed to the post of chairman of the board by decision of the board of directors of Kazakh Invest, which is presided by the country’s Prime Minister. Commenting on his appointment for this story, Tuyakbayev said his…
Shymkent to celebrate 2,000-year anniversary
ASTANA – The year 2020 will offer Shymkent a chance to simultaneously honour its past and look towards its future. The city will celebrate its 2,000-year anniversary while becoming the cultural capital of the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). Shymkent is the capital of the South Kazakhstan region, the only one in the country with…
Kazakh President, health minister discuss efforts to improve public health
ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev and Minister of Health Yelzhan Birtanov recently discussed state regulation of medicine prices and the fight against corruption in the pharmaceutical industry. The discussion included the recent arrests of individuals suspected of corruption within the industry. “After my assignment to deal with the prices, the head of the Pharmacy…
14,000 babies born with IVF in Kazakhstan in seven years
ASTANA – Fourteen thousand children during the last seven years were born with the help of assisted reproductive technologies in Kazakhstan, Vice Minister of Healthcare of the Republic of Kazakhstan Lyazzat Aktayeva reported. “Approximately 4,780 fertilisation procedures were conducted under the guaranteed volume of free medical care, to which the state spent 3.8 billion tenge…
EXPO site to host AIFC, educational centre
ASTANA – EXPO 2017 may have concluded, but that doesn’t mean the grounds have become a ghost town. Once the international pavilions have been reconstructed, the vacated premises will be occupied by various organisations, said Astana EXPO 2017 national company chair Akhmetzhan Yessimov. “For residents and guests of the capital, an ice rink will be…
Kazakh fintech start-up holds its first global ICO
ASTANA – LendEx financial-tech (fintech) start-up plans to initiate an ICO (Initial Coin Offering) using the Ethereum platform based on block chain technology. The investments will be used to launch the LendEx P2P (peer to peer) lending platform, which will focus on online lending to clients in Central and Southeast Asia. “We are talking about…
Cosmonaut makes orphanage boy’s dream come true
ASTANA – As part of the Believe in the Dream! Project, the Kazpravda.kz online edition team gave Anatoly “Tolik” Oleinik, a boy living in an Astana orphanage, a chance to move one step closer to his cherished dream of becoming an astronaut. An excursion to the National Space Centre was organised for Tolik, where he…
Aktau – city by the sea
ASTANA – Aktau, one of Kazakhstan’s youngest cities on the Caspian Sea, offers memorable beach resorts, theatres and night life. Brief History Known as Aktau from 1961-1963, the name was changed to Shevchenko in honour of Ukrainian poet Taras Shevchenko, who was in exile in Kazakhstan in the mid-19th century. The industrial city returned to…
