Kazakhstan to reconstruct ancient steppe settlement, create archaeological park in Nur-Sultan
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…
Astana LRT opens school for capital bus drivers
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…
Kazakh capital to acquire 100 new electric buses
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…
AIFC FinTech Hub participates in Startup Nation festival in Thailand
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…
Kazakh machine-building enterprises produce equipment worth $1.4 billion
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…
Businesspeople, officials advance plans to continue Alakol Resort’s development
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…
Kazakhstan to build two sugar plants, seeks to reduce dependence on imported sugar
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…
Capital Day celebrations include 100 events, event spending scaled back
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…
AIFC opens competence centres at major Kazakh universities
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…
Kazakhstan to export horse meat to Japan
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…
Fathers discuss family, children and responsibilities at UN-sponsored event in Nur-Sultan
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…
Kazakh farmers to produce up to three million tonnes of soybeans
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…
Aktobe workshop begins rail cargo soft container production
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…
Kazakh President immediately begins focus on improved civil services, fight against corruption with new agencies
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…
Kazakhs go to polls for first presidential election without founding president Nazarbayev
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…
Semey city to replace 90 percent of its bus fleet with newer vehicles
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…
Kazakh communist party candidate seeks to fight poverty, promote economic integration with neighbouring countries
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…
Indian envoy says relations with region have lasted for more than 2,000 years
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…
AIFC, Bitfury to jointly implement blockchain projects
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…
Kazakhstan to utilise aspects of Hungarian water resource management system
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…
Kazakhstan to build new green energy production facilities, considers expanding green energy exports
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…
Kazakhstan’s proposed plastic bag ban to answer eternal question, ‘paper or plastic?’
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…
E-commerce takes off in Kazakhstan, citizens double number of purchases
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…
Kazakhstan’s presidential hospital performs robot-aided surgery
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…
Air Astana named best regional Asian carrier for second year in a row
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,…
