Articles by Yerbolat Uatkhanov

NUR-SULTAN – Future Capital Technologies has launched PayDay, a service that allows employees to receive their salary any day of the month. The new programme will help ease individual debt burden and reduce companies’ salary budgets.  The firm creates and implements IT projects that provide simpler and more efficient solutions for the obsolete and complex…

NUR-SULTAN – Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA) issued a license Kazakhstan Energy Reinsurance Company (KERC), a captive insurer firm, setting a precedence for the nation’s companies to transfer operations and capital to the country. A captive insurer is a licensed insurance company created by a parent company to provide coverage for itself. As a captive…

NUR-SULTAN – The Astana International Financial Centre Court (AIFC Court) and International Arbitration Centre (IAC) considered five cases in 2019. The achievement was significant compared to the experiences of similar common law financial centre courts and international arbitration centres at this stage of their operation. “2019 has been a very productive year of achievement for…

NUR-SULTAN – Funding from new investors has given second life to the former Karaganda foundry in the country’s biggest region. Large-scale modernisation of the Qaz Carbon plant has provided a semi-coke oven which, for the first time, will not only satisfy domestic demand, but also provide product for export. “Today, we are taking practical measures…

NUR-SULTAN – The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) received the second and final shipment of low-enriched uranium (LEU) Dec. 10 at its LEU Bank, established in Ust-Kamenogorsk, East Kazakhstan region, as part of the international efforts to assure countries of the nuclear fuel supply. The delivery completed the planned stock of material that the LEU…

NUR-SULTAN – The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) Bureau for Continuing Professional Development (BCPD) held an EdTech Camp Nov. 29 to improve the country’s educational technologies through exchanging experience, applying the best international practices and expertise and creating a professional platform to develop educational innovations.  EdTech Camp brought together local and international experts, entrepreneurs and…

NUR-SULTAN – The Astana International Financial Centre’s (AIFC) International Arbitration Centre (IAC) signed five memorandums of understanding (MoUs) with leading dispute resolution institutions in Hong Kong and China during the Hong Kong and China arbitration weeks, two leading annual arbitration forums in Asia.   “I am delighted to report that our International Arbitration Centre has found…

NUR-SULTAN – The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Low-Enriched-Uranium (LEU) Fuel Bank in Kazakhstan received Oct. 17 its first shipment of low-enriched uranium. The LEU Bank is meant to be a supply source of last resort for IAEA member states who have had a disruption in their access to fuel. “With the arrival of the…

NUR-SULTAN – Farmers in the North Kazakhstan Region have begun harvesting the first major soybean crop under Northern Soybean state programme. Kazakhstan currently imports soybeans from Russia, but thanks to the programme the country will be able to cover its needs in five years. Regional Akim (Governor) Kumar Aksakalov has repeatedly highlighted the benefits of…

NUR-SULTAN – The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) and Almaty Akimat (administration) hosted the Almaty Financial Forum as part of World Investors Week (WIW). The event contributed to increased public awareness about consumer protection in financial services, the basics of investing and conditions for doing business through AIFC. WIW, an annual campaign held under the…

NUR-SULTAN – Musicologist Naum Shafer, who is also a professor, literary critic, writer and composer, has assembled the world’s largest collection of gramophone records (not to be confused with vinyl ones) in Pavlodar. The collection consists of more than 14,000 discs, some of which are the only saved copy in the world. “Don’t divide music…

NUR-SULTAN – Rakhat Company has continued to maintain its leadership in the Kazakh confectionery market in the first half of the year, modernising internal policy and entering new markets. Export growth in 2019 has reached 9.9 percent. “The first half of the year was an active period of growth and transformation for Rakhat. Thanks to…

NUR-SULTAN – Japan-based Tokyo Rope International Inc. recently opened a representative office in Atyrau. The company will begin protecting the Ural River shore next year and also plans to construct a medical centre. At the opening ceremony, Tokyo Rope President Sato Kazunori emphasised the importance of cooperation between the Japanese investor and Kazakhstan. The company…

NUR-SULTAN – The capital akimat (administration) will be purchasing 100 new electric buses from the joint venture between Chinese Yutong and Kostanai-based SaryarkaAvtoProm. The buses will save money due to low electricity consumption costs and reduced air pollution. “One hundred new electric buses will appear in our capital. This means that we will reduce the…

NUR-SULTAN – The Astana International Exchange (AIX) listed Russia’s oldest and most traded exchange-traded fund (ETF) Sept. 24 and two days later, Samruk Kazyna Sovereign Wealth Fund sold 9.86 million global depositary receipts (GDRs) through the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and the AIX. The fund, ITI Funds Russian Equity (RUSE), replicates the return of the…

NUR-SULTAN – Lukoil, the Russian multinational energy corporation, has invested more than $9 million to construct a lubricant production plant in the Almaty Region. The company plans to sell products not only in the Central Asian region, but also export to Afghanistan, China and Mongolia. “The largest Russian company Lukoil is not only an investor…

NUR-SULTAN – The Karaganda Region recently launched a 50-megawatt solar power plant in the village of Agadyr, Shetsky District. The Karaganda Region has become a leader in introducing renewable energy sources and the 50-megawatt plant is the region’s third solar power plant.  “We have one goal. This is the instruction of Kazakhstan’s First President, Nursultan…

NUR-SULTAN – Kuat Yessenov, a Kazakh now living in the United States and working for Google, was recently named one of Kazakhstan’s 100 New Faces for his extraordinary intellectual achievements as a child.  The 100 New Faces programme is a government project highlighting the personal stories of inspirational Kazakhs from all walks of life. Yessenov…

NUR-SULTAN – The Taraz akimat (city administration) is building what will be the largest tourist centre in Kazakhstan.  The city administration is building the Shakhristan historical and tourist centre, which together with the existing Ancient Taraz archaeological complex, will be the country’s largest tourist centre.  In 2011, Taraz central market was moved to another location…

NUR-SULTAN – Bolt, a major European transport platform, began operating Sept. 4 in the capital. Several thousand drivers have already started working. “More than 25 million users in more than 30 countries use Bolt services. Now, the European quality of Bolt taxi service is also available in Kazakhstan. We are convinced that happy drivers are…

NUR-SULTAN – Wildberries, Russia’s largest international online retailer, will be opening a branch within the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) and building a large distribution centre in the country. “We are confident in the high potential of our partnership with local producers, small and medium-sized businesses of Kazakhstan; therefore, we are investing in the creation…

NUR-SULTAN – Petropavlovsk Heavy Engineering Plant has begun producing refrigeration cars to transport short-lived commodities. The company plans not only to satisfy local demand, but also export cars to Russia. The plant is cooperating with Cool Infinity Engineering Corporation, according to the regional chamber of entrepreneurs press service. It is using a full production cycle…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s first low-cost airline FlyArystan will expand the number of its flights out of the Sary-Arka Airport in Karaganda in the second quarter of 2020. The additional flights out of Kazakhstan’s fourth largest city will include 10 to 12 domestic and national routes and are expected to help develop tourism in the region.…

NUR-SULTAN – Volunteers in Guldala village in the Almaty Region helped to build a large house for four single mothers raising 18 children. The project was initiated by the Nuraniy Anilar public fund under the Kazakhstan’s Uyghurs National Ethnocultural Centre. Nuraniy Anilar head Dhzakhangir Muratova recently handed the keys to the new owners who, due…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ) national railway company and French multinational railway supplies company Alstom agreed July 30 to cooperate on the development of digital technologies for railway, including signalling, centralisation and blocking. The agreement came during a visit to Nur-Sultan by French Minister of Economy and Finance Bruno Le Maire. The French minister…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh authorities recently announced plans to reconstruct the ancient settlement of Bozok and create an archaeological park in the capital. “I was glad to meet with Minister of Culture and Sports Aktota Raimkulova. We signed a joint development plan for the Bozok state historical and cultural museum-reserve. We plan to develop design estimates…

NUR-SULTAN – Astana LRT has opened a driving school at the capital’s Transport Specialist Qualification Centre to reduce the shortage of bus drivers, improve the professional level and decrease the average age of the current drivers, and popularise the specialty. Students will be able to earn driving licenses in all categories. “A driver’s license of…

NUR-SULTAN – One hundred additional electronic public buses will begin operating in the capital by the end of the year. “The working group formed under the city accelerator is engaged in improving public transport. We are moving to a green economy. The number of people in the city is growing annually and so is the…

NUR-SULTAN – Fintech Hub, which is part of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), participated in the recent Startup Nation festival in Bangkok, Thailand. Fintech Hub presented three startups, which became finalists in a global Visa programme representing financial technology (fintech) startups. “The values of such an event are the exchange of experience, expansion of…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh machine-building enterprises produced 553 billion tenge (US$1.4 billion) in goods in the first half of 2019. The products are nearly 100-percent localised and offer a wide range of equipment, up to three and half times cheaper than imported items. The country’s machine-building enterprises produce an entire range of agricultural machinery, according to…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh government is investing in the Alakol Lake coastal zone and its infrastructure. Entrepreneurs and state body representatives recently discussed the prospects and challenges of developing the resort. East Kazakhstan Region Akim (Governor) Danial Akhmetov participated in the talks during his working trip to the Urdzhar district. He noted the regional akimat…

NUR-SULTAN – The Ministry of Agriculture seeks to reduce the nation’s dependence on imported sugar by building two sugar plants by the end of 2021. The plants will be in the Zhambyl and Pavlodar regions and cost $775 million. The plants will have a capacity of 100,000 tonnes per year and will use local raw…

NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh capital will celebrate its 21st birthday July 6. As part of the celebration, approximately 100 events will be held, 73 of which will be free. Some scheduled events were cancelled because of the recent tragic explosions at an ammunition depot in Arys. The explosions killed at least three people and caused…

NUR-SULTAN – The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) is opening competence centres at Kazakhstan’s major universities to improve investment literacy. The initiative also intends to help develop the key competencies and practical skills of new experts in finance, investment and other industries. Eight platforms have already been established at Almaty universities including the SDU Fin…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan and Japan are negotiating the export of Kazakh horse meat to the Japanese market, where it will be used to prepare the delicacy basashi (thinly sliced ​​raw horse meat). Kazakh Ambassador to Japan Yerlan Baudarbek-Kozhatayev and Japanese Minister of Health, Labour and Welfare Takumi Nemoto met June 14 to discuss shipments. They…

NUR-SULTAN – The UN Population Fund, UN Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and UN Women invited fathers working in the media, civil society, international development and advocacy to discuss fatherhood challenges. The dads shared their experiences and life hacks in overcoming challenges, being active in their children’s lives and contributing to household work. “It is widely recognised…

NUR-SULTAN – The Ministry of Agriculture is implementing the Northern Soya programme aimed at helping farmers increase soybean yield in the North Kazakhstan Region. In five years, the programme is expected to increase the sowing area up to 1.5 million hectares, the yield of one hectare up to 2,500 kilogrammes and the gross yield up…

NUR-SULTAN – The Aktyubinsk Polymer Factory workshop in the industrial zone of Aktobe has begun producing big bags and railcar liners for the transport of bulk cargo. This is the first stage of the project, the total cost of which is 1 billion tenge (US$2.6 million). “Today, a promising project is opening in the industrial…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev divided June 13 the Agency for Civil Service Affairs and Anti-Corruption into separate state bodies. Both bodies will be subordinate to the president. The change took effect immediately. The Agency for Civil Service Affairs and Anti-Corruption was renamed the Agency for Civil Service Affairs. It will oversee the quality…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh citizens went to the polls June 9 for the nation’s first presidential election without former and founding President Nursultan Nazarbayev. The final voter turnout was reported by the Central Election Commission to be 77.4 percent. Seventy-eight-year-old Nazarbayev, who was in power for almost three decades, resigned in March. Less than three weeks…

NUR-SULTAN – The East Kazakhstan Region’s akimat (administration) is going to replace 90 percent of the city’s bus fleet with newer vehicles. “Dear Semey residents, two years ago you raised the problem of broken roads and old buses that served you around the city. Today, roads are being restored and expanded, comfortable buses run along…

NUR-SULTAN – Communist People’s Party of Kazakhstan (CPPK) candidate for president Zhambyl Akhmetbekov promises to renounce Western influence and values, fight oligarchs and poverty and promote economic integration with neighbouring countries. If elected, he will also pursue tax reform. On April 26, CPPK unanimously nominated Akhmetbekov, the Central Committee Secretary and a Mazhilis (lower house…

NUR-SULTAN – Indian Ambassador to Kazakhstan Prabhat Kumar, who finds Central Asia to be India’s extended neighbourhood, considers the region to be a very important one for his country strategically, economically and politically. The two nations, with many similarities in culture and traditions, have had a number of exchanges in the past and now have…

NUR-SULTAN – Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) and the Bitfury blockchain company agreed May 17 to create projects using blockchain technology. Bitfury also plans to open data centres in Kazakhstan to diversify the work environment and cooperate with Nur-Sultan Akimat (city administration). “We are pleased to welcome Bitfury in Kazakhstan and the AIFC is ready…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan plans to examine Hungary’s experience in water treatment and loss prevention and incorporate those technologies into its own water management systems, Director of the Department of International Cooperation for the Ministry of National Economy Kairat Torebayev told an April 29 Kazakh-Hungarian business forum in the Kazakh capital. He also noted that Kazakhstan…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan plans to build new green energy production facilities and is considering exporting electricity to Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) countries. “Over the past three years, the total volume of exported electricity reached 13,798 billion kWh, or 4.6 percent of the total electric energy generation. As part of the work on the formation of…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy is considering a phased ban on the sale of small-capacity plastic bags under the country’s new Environmental Code. It plans to start with public education, then launch a comprehensive and detailed study of the bags’ impact and help producers of environment-friendly bags. According to the ministry’s press service, single…

NUR-SULTAN – The number of e-commerce purchases in Kazakhstan jumped from 1.3 million in 2017 to 2.3 million in 2018. Government officials attribute the increase to the Digital Kazakhstan state programme begun at the end of 2017. “Today, we see a positive effect from the work being done. In 2018, the volume of the e-commerce…

NUR-SULTAN – Surgeons at the capital’s Presidential Hospital are expanding their capabilities in robot-assisted surgery. Using equipment which reduces blood loss and operation time, they have begun doing new procedures to remove kidney tumours and uteruses. The training centre opened in November. “The main advantage of the robot is higher accuracy and better magnification, which…

NUR-SULTAN – TripAdvisor, a global travel website, has recognised Air Astana as the winner of the Travelers’ Choice Awards 2019 for Regional Asian Carrier for the second year in a row. The airline was also named best in the new Passenger Comfort category. “Our airline demonstrates a constant commitment to the highest standards of service,…

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan plans to double domestic production of automobiles to meet demand within the Eurasian Economic Union, according to the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development. The country will open three new vehicle assembling plants jointly with Hyundai, KAMAZ and Kirovets. “We plan to increase the production of vehicles from 32,000 to 60,000 units.…

NUR-SULTAN – Matex recently opened the first and only facility in the North Kazakhstan region that manufactures socks. The company represents the economy of simple things in action, as its goods are necessary, in demand and, to date, have almost exclusively been imported. Company director Aramais Ter-Astvatsaturyan, who extensively studied the light industry market, learned…

ASTANA – Air Astana has hired 90 staff members for its new low-cost airline FlyArystan and is seeking 60 more employees prior to its scheduled launch in the first half of this year. Kazakhstan’s national airline announced in November plans for its low-cost subsidiary, which will include four Airbus A320s, with plans to grow to…

ASTANA – Foreign citizens making purchases in Kazakhstan will be exempt from value added tax (VAT) payments in a few years. The Ministry of Culture and Sports will implement the system starting in 2022 and expects to attract more tourists to the country. “The tenth measure (which is implemented under the national programme of tourism…

ASTANA – The Akmola Region meat supplier Agroproduct recently concluded Kazakhstan’s first contract to export meat to Iran. The first batch of meat has already arrived in Iran. “The first batch of export meat from Kazakhstan to Iran came from the Akmola region. It is worth noting that Iran is a Muslim country with very…

ASTANA – The Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development has implemented an Economy of Simple Things, a new programme focused on developing light manufacturing and the construction and furniture industries. The ministry plans to create 16,000 new jobs by 2025 and reduce imports from 59 to 37 percent. Approximately 400 billion tenge (US$1 billion) will…

ASTANA – The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) and the International Arbitration Centre have officially launched the eJustice system in Astana’s financial hub. The system allows lawsuits to be filed from anywhere in the world, and will help manage the legal and electronic processing of all legal documents. “The AIFC Court and the International Arbitration…

ASTANA – Kazakh company Qazaq Air and Iranian Mahan Air received permission from the Civil Aviation Committee of the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development of Kazakhstan to open new international connector routes. The Kazakh airline will connect the country with Georgia, Kyrgyzstan and Russia, while the Iranian carrier will open a route between Tehran…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan expects to export nine million tonnes of grain and flour this year, including increased shipments of domestic wheat to China, one of the world’s largest markets. The country delivered 307,000 tonnes of wheat to China in 2017 and almost two times more – 560,000 tonnes – last year. Experts believe that in…

ASTANA – Air Astana will begin April 1 offering three additional flights per week from Almaty to Tashkent and two additional flights per week from Astana to Tashkent. The airline is also negotiating to offer flights to Japan and the United States through an intermediate point. Currently, the company has daily flights from Almaty to…

ASTANA – Kazakh citizens have purchased government notes worth $2.6 million through the National Bank’s Invest Online system, an innovative technology product for people to invest in securities. Invest Online was launched in March as an affordable way to invest, providing an opportunity for Kazakh citizens to acquire government securities (notes of the National Bank)…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s National Bank has banned second-tier banks from charging fees for lending to the population. This move follows its ban on such banks charging interest on accounts more than 180 days overdue. The National Bank prohibited establishing and charging fees for maintaining a bank account associated with issuing and servicing a loan, as…

ASTANA – KAZGUU University has launched a special grant programme during the Year of Youth to demonstrate its institutional support for young researchers and generate new knowledge. The university is providing five, three-year PhD grants in public law and private law. ​Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev highlighted the many relevant topics in young people’s lives and…

ASTANA – Maritime cruises have never been as popular in Kazakhstan, a landlocked nation, as they have in other more ocean-accessible countries. But some domestic travel officials hope that will change. “The cost of a Vietnam-Malaysia cruise for 10 days will cost 3,900 euros (US$4,409) per person. This is a high cost for local consumers…

ASTANA – Astana Financial Services Authority along with a newly-formed alliance of 28 financial regulators and organisations, including Financial Conduct Authority (from the U.K.), International Monetary Fund and World Bank Group established Jan. 31 the Global Financial Innovation Network (GFIN). “We are pleased to be part of this initiative. The GFIN will facilitate greater regulatory…

ASTANA – Born and raised in the U.K., British lawyer and arbitrator, Freeman of the City of London, Shariah scholar and Islamic finance expert Sheikh Bilal Khan wanted to excel professionally while maintaining a link with his family’s traditional roots in South East Asia. He has achieved both goals by contributing his unique proficiency to…

ASTANA – Astana Ballet presented new creative achievements, successful tours and productive cooperation with foreign theatre representatives last year. In 2019, the staff, composed mainly of young people, will expand its repertoire and geographic list of tours. “I want to note that every year there is a steady and exact growth of interest in high…

ASTANA – Kazkont produces mobile homes primarily for field workers and oil and gas and construction companies. Considering Kazakhstan’s vast territory and severe climate, such products are in great demand. Kazkont founder Raimbek Sagadinov decided to start producing modular homes after working with them for a number of years. On average, the 10-year-old company manufactures…

ASTANA – The market for professional aquarists is expanding in Almaty, as their services are in great demand. The experts not only preserve life in aquariums, but help those who enjoy the underwater worlds. Large pet stores also hire such specialists. “This is a very serious profession. It’s a pity that universities do not teach…

ASTANA – For the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD), 2018 was another successful year in Kazakhstan. The bank allocated $541 million to the country’s economy for 26 projects. It has set ambitious goals for 2019, reinforcing support for the global development programme for the period through 2030 and focusing on renewable energy. EBRD…

ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev launched the Year of Youth in Kazakhstan during a Jan. 23 ceremony on the EXPO 2017 grounds at the Nur Alem pavilion. He highlighted the importance of housing construction, the creation of new jobs and education development. The ceremony began with a live performance of the Kazakh anthem without…

ASTANA – SmartLab was named one of the top 10 best start-ups at the Startupbootcamp international competition last month in Australia. The Kazakh company presented its new product – IVCbox, a video platform for communication. “We are creating information technologies for automating and optimising business processes for companies in the banking and commercial sectors. We…

ASTANA – Almaty businessman Dinmukhamed Baitukayev plans to open a store in Astana by Feb. 14, selling edible bouquets into the Astana market before Valentine’s Day. His company Cosmoberry already operates an edible bouquet service in Almaty and makes bouquets out of strawberries, fruits and chocolates. Baitukayev told The Astana Times he believes the standard…

ASTANA – When sisters Nasima and Nafisa Rozikova realised the format of the store near their house did not meet their needs, they decided to open their own. The new shop is distinguished by good-neighbourliness, thoughtful consumption and the choice of useful and eco-friendly products. They intend to change people’s minds and help local manufacturers…

ASTANA – Forbes Russia, one of the most popular and authoritative economic rating agencies, has ranked Shin-Line’s Bakhroma ice cream second among its top 10 best new products of 2018. “One of the main directions of development of our company is export. In 2018, we exceeded the 10 percent level in exports. The Bakhroma brand,…

ASTANA – Kazakh businesspeople establishing greenhouses in the country face competition from Uzbekistan producers and lack of retail availability. While healthy food is trending, the demand for fresh herbs and salad fixings is still low. Despite the odds, the Almaty region’s GreenEco greenhouse in Panfilovo village of Talgar district is making a go of it.…

ASTANA – Astana Ballet has prepared a special gift for residents and guests of the city. The ballet has launched weekly backstage tours, showing patrons what mysteries are really behind the big scenes. Guests will be able to see what is usually hidden from viewers’ eyes and feel the atmosphere, experience the world of dance…

ASTANA – Beginning Jan. 1, Kazakhstan has introduced a single-entry electronic visa for citizens of 117 countries. An electronic business or tourist visa or one for medical treatment will be issued using a valid invitation considered by the nation’s migration service. Foreigners wishing to benefit from the new arrangement can enter the country through checkpoints at…

ASTANA – AGF Group, Kazakhstan’s first specialised home textile manufacturer, has supplied 4.4 billion tenge (US$11.9 million) in products to foreign markets in 2018, increasing export production sevenfold. In 2015, the company signed a contract with IKEA to supply bed linens using timely state support. Located in Shymkent, AGF Group was the first specialised garment…

ASTANA – Beef exports have reached 18,800 tonnes in 2018, 25 percent more than the 15,000 tonnes planned by the Ministry of Agriculture. Almost half was exported by the Turkestan region. By comparison, beef exports in 2017 totalled 5,500 tonnes. Large-scale implementation of a long-term programme to develop animal husbandry began in the second half…

ASTANA – Car sales in Kazakhstan increased 25.8 percent from January-November over the same time last year. Dealers sold 52,467 cars totalling $1.3 billion. Of those, 48.2 percent were cars produced in Kazakhstan. “In November, the Kazakh car market completed the seventh consecutive quarter of growth. The process of recovery in consumer demand continues at…

ASTANA – Twenty years ago, the world saw the legendary Notre Dame de Paris musical for the very first time. As part of the commemoration of the 20th anniversary of Astana, the legendary Notre Dame de Paris musical was performed in Kazakhstan on the stage of the Palace of Peace and Reconciliation, supported by the…

ASTANA – Air Astana recently added the Embraer E-Jet E2, one of the world’s most fuel-efficient planes, to its fleet. The aircraft also features an image on its nose of a snow leopard, which is an elusive animal that lives in the mountains of Kazakhstan and is considered a Kazakh symbol. “Today is more special…

ASTANA – China National Machinery, a transnational Chinese state company, has bought 51 percent of shares of SaryarkaAvtoProm, a major Kazakh automaker. The joint venture plans to produce up to 100,000 vehicles per year and increase the localisation level up to 50 percent at the company’s plant in Kostanai region. First Deputy Prime Minister of…

ASTANA – The international food and agriculture sector is valued at approximately $7.8 trillion. With the growth of the world’s population and its living standards, Kazakhstan’s agricultural success and strategic location in the heart of Eurasia can help the nation to meet people’s everyday needs. Similar in size to the whole of Western Europe, Kazakhstan…

ASTANA – World chess champion Dinara Saduakasova recently presented her debut book, “Learning to play chess,” in the capital. The volume, which shares her experience and skills, is the first on the topic written in Kazakh. “It was not easy for me to write a book, because there was no such book in Kazakh. Some…

ASTANA – Astana Opera made a gift to capital residents and guests, presenting the premiere of the one-act ballets Chopiniana (Les Sylphides) and Scheherazade by choreographic art reformer Michel Fokine.   The premiere, staged Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, was devoted to the Day of the First President and the capital’s 20th anniversary celebration and supported by the Ministry of…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan Temir Zholy recently placed five-year Eurobonds worth 170 million Swiss francs on the Swiss Stock Exchange and the Astana International Financial Centre’s (AIFC) Exchange. The Eurobonds were placed with yield to maturity and coupon of 3.25 percent per annum, the press service of the company reports. “Placing Eurobonds in Swiss francs corresponds…

ASTANA – More than 16 years have passed since Kazakhstan entered the Union of European Football Associations (UEFA) family. In that time, the level of the country’s game should have noticeably progressed, but it hasn’t. Aktobe Football Club board member and well-known Aktobe football expert Nikolai Ivanov feels there is a need to work on…

ASTANA – The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has signed contracts to purchase low-enriched uranium (LEU) to start operation of a Low-Enriched Uranium Bank in Kazakhstan in 2019. The purchase will be the IAEA’s largest procurement since its foundation in 1957. The acquisition contracts were signed with two suppliers, Kazatomprom National Atomic Company from Kazakhstan…

ASTANA – Kazakhstan has cut corruption in the form of bribes by one third and the percentage of citizens focused on stopping corruption has doubled in the last three years, according to the recent International Barometer of World Corruption study Transparency International. The Head of the Department of the Agency for Civil Service Affairs and…

ASTANA – According to the new report of Eurasian Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) published Nov. 22, Kazakhstan has 20 years to diversify its economy away from oil and other hydrocarbons and reform public finances as the world starts green economic transition. EBRD published a report on vulnerabilities of major fossil fuel exporters like…

ASTANA – The National Bank issued a new collection of gold and silver coins Nov. 19 in denominations of 500 tenge (US$1.40). The production is devoted to the 25th anniversary of establishing the national currency. The Year of the Boar coins are the ninth pair of gold and silver coins that continue the Oriental Calendar…

ASTANA – We Art, a creative centre designed to help young people from socially vulnerable families train for modern, in-demand professions free of charge, recently opened at Narxoz University in Almaty. The project is supported by the Bulat Utemuratov Foundation. “At We Art, our foundation allocated a 21 million tenge (US$56,200) grant. This centre will…

ASTANA – Almaty and the capital recently honoured the memory of figure skater Denis Ten, the 2014 Olympic bronze medalist and first Kazakh to stand on the podium at multiple world championships, who was murdered this summer during a carjacking attempt. The former city installed a memorial plaque on the house where he was born…

ASTANA – Maxvidl, which manufactures industrial fibreglass items, has begun making street light stanchions. The company, which outfitted its capital plant with up-to-date equipment, will be investing more than 1 billion tenge (US$2.7 million) in production. “Our company’s products have several advantages in comparison with iron and reinforced concrete street lighting stanchions. They are durable,…

ASTANA – The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) Academic Council is developing a broad pool of financial, legal and HR professionals to help to shape the centre’s success and the sustainable economic development of Kazakhstan and the region. Plans are also afoot to educate experts in governance and ICT. “First of all, let me talk…

ASTANA – Astana International Exchange (AIX) is preparing to launch post-trade market services provided by Avenir Technology Limited. The technology, used worldwide, will ensure a safe and reliable post-trading infrastructure for the exchange. “The Astana International Exchange will be an efficient, globally supported exchange platform for both Kazakhstan and the neighbouring countries. To ensure safe…

ASTANA – KAZGUU is the first Kazakh university to introduce Canvas, an LMS (learning management system) that makes the educational process flexible, secure and scalable. It can be adapted to users’ needs and releases teachers and students from paperwork.   “After the business trip of the university’s President Talgat Narikbayev to a foreign university in…

ASTANA – The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) Academic Council, as one of the driving forces of the country’s economy, is actively developing human capital and attracting the best foreign experts. The council, which helps individuals to improve themselves and determine necessary qualifications and opportunities, aims to train 5,000 people in the next few years.…