AIFC Bureau to launch internal auditor course
NUR-SULTAN – The Astana International Financial Centre’s (AIFC) Bureau for Continuing Professional Development, in cooperation with the Ministry of Finance, will launch an internal auditor programme this autumn. Interested individuals can study at the AIFC Bureau and become an international qualified internal auditor with Certified Internal Auditor (CIA) certification. “The bureau has ten programmes in…
Hilton sees expansion opportunities in Central Asia, plans eco-friendly future
NUR-SULTAN – This year, Hilton celebrates its 100th anniversary of hospitality with nearly 5,900 hotels in 114 countries. In Kazakhstan, the brand is represented by three hotels in Nur-Sultan – Hilton Astana, Hampton by Hilton and Hilton Garden Inn – and one hotel in Almaty, the Double Tree by Hilton. The Astana Times spoke with…
Air Astana launches baggage allowance by number of pieces on international flights
NUR-SULTAN – Air Astana changed its free checked baggage allowance on international routes Aug. 7 from weight to number of pieces. Beginning Aug. 21, passengers can check a certain number of bags with a free per-bag weight of up to 23 kilogrammes in economy class and up to 32 kilogrammes in business class. Passengers may…
EBRD projects in Kazakhstan focus on small business, women’s entrepreneurship and investment environment
NUR-SULTAN – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) has invested more than $9.1 billion through 261 projects in the economy of Kazakhstan as of July. In 2015, the bank also launched the Women in Business programme, which empowered women entrepreneurs nationwide. The EBRD will continue its cooperation with the Kazakh government and the…
Astana Opera announces new series of concerts at chamber hall in Nur-Sultan
NUR-SULTAN – Local musicians will present famous and rarely performed works by Kazakh, foreign and contemporary classical composers this August at the chamber hall of the Astana Opera House in the capital. Pianist Assel Abilseitova will present a “Sounding Images” concert Aug. 21, reported the theatre’s press service. Abilseitova is a graduate of London’s Royal…
Bronze Age grave and gold items found in Karaganda Region
NUR-SULTAN – Archaeologists found the remains of a young man and woman and gold jewellery from the Bronze Age while studying Kyzyltau Cemetery in the Shetsky District of the Karaganda Region. The grave is from the first third or quarter of the second millennium BC, reported the regional press service June 29. “The burial ground…
Kazakh machine building sector sees consistent growth
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh car manufacturing increased by 13.4 percent to 553 billion tenge (US$1.4 billion) in the first half of 2019. During that period, 128 projects worth 367 billion tenge (US$948 million) were launched and an additional 10 projects worth 54 billion tenge (US$140 million) are slated to start by the end of the year.…
Inclusive innovation consortia programme promotes social innovations, encourages responsible entrepreneurs and business leaders
NUR-SULTAN – Entrepreneurs and start-ups seeking to improve the quality of people’s lives, especially for groups with limited access to resources, have an opportunity to participate in the inclusive innovation consortia grant programme. Launched by the Kazakh Ministry of Education and Science and the World Bank, the programme promotes and develops commercial innovations in Kazakhstan…
EU, UNDP to help Afghan women study in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan
NUR-SULTAN – The European Union (EU) will provide two million euro ($2.2 million) for 50 Afghan women to support economic empowerment through education and training in Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan as part of a project to be administered by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). UN Women will also organise summer schools on entrepreneurship and networking…
Government for Citizens provides more than 15 million services, mGov updated mobile app to launch in August
NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh government-owned company Government for Citizens provided more than 15 million public services in the first half of 2019 and seeks to improve the delivery of services through automation and better interagency cooperation, said Vice Minister of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry Ablaikhan Ospanov at a July 19 press conference. The…
Youth-friendly health centre opens in Almaty
NUR-SULTAN – A youth-friendly health centre opened in Almaty July 11 as part of the Year of the Youth. The Place Where You Are Always Welcome is a resource hub providing information and services for young people on ways to develop life skills and prepare for the challenges of adulthood. The project, supported by the…
EBRD finance for Women in Business programme reaches $561 million
NUR-SULTAN – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development’s (EBRD) Women in Business programme has provided $561 million in credit lines to more than 60,000 women-led small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in 18 countries. Launched in 2015, the programme offers a unique combination of financing together with technical assistance and access to know-how, including mentoring…
AIFC develops regulations for loan- and investment-based crowdfunding platforms
NUR-SULTAN – The Astana Financial Services Authority (AFSA), the financial regulator of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), introduced the first regulatory framework for loan- and investment-based crowdfunding platforms, reported the AIFC press service. “This new framework is one of AFSA’s ongoing commitments to promote innovation in the financial sector consistent with the latest industry…
Kindergarten shares innovative ideas for effective learning with regional teachers
NUR-SULTAN – The experienced and qualified teachers at Karlygash kindergarten under the Presidential Affairs Department medical centre use best practices by sharing knowledge with preschool teachers from the regions. They demonstrated that exchange of ideas in mid-June when more than 100 teachers participated in a seminar in the capital dedicated to developing preschool education in…
Astana Opera to present “Abai” and “Madama Butterfly” in Tashkent
NUR-SULTAN – The Astana Opera will stage Latyf Khamidi and Akhmet Zhubanov’s opera “Abai” July 10 and Giacomo Puccini’s opera “Madama Butterfly” July 13 in Tashkent. The company’s first tour to Uzbekistan is being organised as part of the Year of Kazakhstan in Uzbekistan. Saltanat Akhmetova, Sundet Baigozhin, Meir Bainesh, Talgat Galeyev, Beimbet Tanarykov, Yerzhan…
Ministerial Conference will create new trade, business and investment opportunities for Central Asia, says WTO spokesperson
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan will be the first Central Asian country to host the World Trade Organisation’s (WTO) 12th Ministerial Conference (MC12) June 8-11, 2020. The event will gather trade ministers from 164 member countries and 20 WTO observer nations. A delegation headed by WTO Deputy Director General Karl Brauner recently met in the capital with…
World of Nomads festival presents ancient traditions, martial arts competitions
NUR-SULTAN – The fourth Koshpendiler Alemi (World of Nomads) festival took place June 28-30 at the Ethnoaul national cultural complex in the capital. The festival included competitions of professional archers, kokpar (the ancient nomadic game) players, eagle hunters, warrior battles to create the atmosphere of life of ancient nomads. “The main purpose of the event…
Karaganda Region to launch compulsory health insurance pilot project this fall
NUR-SULTAN – Karaganda Region will launch a pilot project on compulsory social health insurance from September. The pilot will test practices for providing services, identifying insurance status and accounting. A new model of guaranteed free healthcare was developed for the compulsory social health insurance system in 2018. It will take effect January 1. Minister of…
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Justice to open intellectual property rights coordination centre to secure investments
NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh Ministry of Justice plans to create an intellectual property rights coordination centre to secure investments and protect intellectual property using the experience of the U.S.-based National Intellectual Property Rights Coordination Centre (NIPRCC). Operating under the Department of Homeland Security since 2000, NIPRCC unites 23 organisations including 19 key federal agencies and…
Almaty stays atop World Bank’s Subnational Doing Business report for Kazakhstan
NUR-SULTAN – Doing business is easiest in Almaty, Aktau and Aktobe among the 16 locations in Kazakhstan rated by the second World Bank’s Subnational Doing Business in Kazakhstan 2019 report, released June 17. The report studied business regulations in four areas – starting a business, dealing with construction permits, getting electricity and registering property –…
International observers note high voter turnout, democratic processes in Kazakh presidential election
NUR-SULTAN – On the day following Kazakhstan’s early presidential election, international observation mission heads and delegates shared their views regarding voting procedure and citizen participation. This year, the country’s Central Election Commission (CEC) accredited 1,013 international observers, including 866 from nine international organisations and 147 from 41 foreign countries. The following observations were made by…
Kazakhstan: international observers attend polling stations nationwide to monitor voting, election law
NUR-SULTAN – The foreign observers started their mission to ensure that the June 9 presidential election meets international standards throughout Kazakhstan. Overall, Kazakhstan’s Central Election Commission (CEC) has accredited 1,013 international observers, including 866 observers from nine international organisations and 147 observers from 41 foreign countries. Ambassador Urszula Gacek, who heads the Election Observation Mission…
Number of foreign journalists accredited to cover Kazakh presidential election jumps more than 35% over 2015 election
NUR-SULTAN – The number of foreign journalists accredited to cover Kazakhstan’s June 9 presidential election has increased more than 35 percent over the number of reporters accredited to cover the 2015 presidential election. Approximately 227 foreign journalists from 40 countries have been accredited to cover this year’s election, while this number does not take into…
AIFC Bureau launches expert school to address financial challenges in Eurasian integration processes
NUR-SULTAN – The Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) Bureau launched an expert school May 27 on the Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) common financial space. The first such platform in the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) aims to increase the potential of qualified experts, form a common financial space to provide financial services, ensure beneficiary protection…
Kazakh government plans significant improvements to country’s drinking water supply by 2023
NUR-SULTAN – The water supply will be improved this year for 126,800 people in 68 Kazakh villages. Approximately 90.2 percent or 16.5 million people out of Kazakhstan’s 18.4 million population have access to the centralised water supply. Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development Roman Sklyar said at a June 4 government meeting that it is…
