Astana hosts forum on social entrepreneurship as model for societal change
ASTANA – What is behind a global social enterprise? What are the trends and challenges in social entrepreneurship? What lies at the core of socially-driven activities? The British Council, in partnership with Chevron and the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs, hosted a forum in the capital Jan. 31 to address social entrepreneurship as a new…
Minister: Tourism will make up 8 percent of Kazakhstan’s GDP by 2025
ASTANA – The number of domestic tourists reached 3.5 million people and increased by 25 percent in a nine-month period of 2017, Minister of Culture and Sports Arystanbek Mukhamediuly told a Jan. 25 press conference in the capital. The government has been tasked with increasing the share of tourism in Kazakhstan’s gross domestic product (GDP)…
Young artist takes landscape painting to new level, bolsters national culture abroad
ASTANA – Painter Anara Abzhanova, one of the country’s 100 New Faces, recently won the Recognition Prize at the Palm Art Award 2017 in Germany. Her paintings, mostly highlighting the country’s natural beauty and breathtaking views, are popular among art lovers worldwide. A talented girl with a hearing impairment, Abzhanova became famous for her own…
Mangistau region launches eco-green city project, advances energy solutions
ASTANA – A unique eco-green city worth $2.1 billion will be constructed in Aktau, according to the Mangistau region’s press service. The Mangistau region akimat (local executive body) signed an agreement on the construction and financing of the project with Global Project Capital Ltd, AAG Corporate Services Ltd and China Road and Bridge Corporation (CRBC).…
Iran invests in meat processing plant construction in Semei
ASTANA – Iranian company Agro Portal, with the help of Kazakh Invest, has invested in the construction of the halal meat processing plant in the Ondiris Industrial Zone in Semei. Foreign investment in the project stands at about $21.5 million. The construction of the plant will start this year, reported the Kazakh Invest press service…
One of nation’s 100 New Faces helps digitise library materials
ASTANA – National Academic Library Deputy Head Nurzhan Zholdybalinov, one of the country’s 100 New Faces, co-developed the digital library, digital library card and introduced technology to convert eBooks from Cyrillic to Latin script. Zholdybalinov started his career at the national library in 2007. An IT specialist by occupation, later he received graduate degree from…
Zhambyl region studies ancient settlements, encourages cultural development
ASTANA – Thirty projects to preserve history and encourage cultural development are being developed in the Zhambyl region as part of the Rukhani Janghyru (Modernisation of Kazakhstan’s Identity) programme, reported Kazinform. “Six out of 27 projects have already been implemented as part of the Tugan Zher (Small Homeland), the Sacred Geography of Kazakhstan and the…
Astana cat café invites feline friends to spend holidays with pets, opens first cat hotel
ASTANA – Pet businesses are an emerging trend. While their uniqueness can be both attractive and challenging to find their niche and customers, doing what one loves is one of the key elements of a successful business. Miki Piki Cat Café founder Aigul Kurmanaliyeva is enthusiastic about running an establishment related to her favourite animal.…
Kazakhstan’s first robot surgery, transplantology centre to open in Ust-Kamenogorsk in 2018
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s first robot surgery and transplantology centre will open in the first quarter of 2018 in Ust-Kamenogorsk. The centre is being paid for by the national government, according to the regional government’s press service. The centre will offer endoscopic interventions and low-traumatic and minimally invasive treatments. The unique facility is located at the…
Mangistau region intends to boost energy efficiency, build business environment
ASTANA – Construction of wind and solar power plants is underway in an effort to develop renewable energy sources in the Mangistau region in 2018, according to the regional press service. Two facilities, a five-megawatt wind farm in Akshukur village of the Tupkaragan district and a seven-megawatt solar power plant in Batyr village of the…
Smart city development launches in major Kazakh cities to improve infrastructure, increase urban attractiveness
ASTANA – Smart city technologies are being introduced in the country’s five largest cities – Aktobe, Almaty, Astana, Karaganda and Shymkent – as part of the Digital Kazakhstan programme, said Minister of Information and Communications Dauren Abayev at a Dec. 26 government meeting. The concept is designed to improve the efficiency of all city services,…
Young developers create energy saving industrial solutions
ASTANA – Almaty-based Sheberkhana is the company behind ecoSocket, the technology that helps to conserve energy and save money by controlling power usage. The start-up was among the top 10 best Central Asian and South-East European projects from the 500 applications at the Echelon Asia Summit 2015 in Singapore. “The ecoSocket adapter is able to…
Altai Alps ski resort welcomes visitors to enjoy winter activities, improve skills
ASTANA – With its gorgeous mountain views and large variety of slopes for outdoor enthusiasts, a tour of the East Kazakhstan region is the perfect winter trip idea. Located 24 kilometres from Ust-Kamenogorsk, the Altai Alps ski resort is an amazing and affordable vacation destination for families and friends. The cozy and remote resort is…
Kazakh GDP grows 3.9 percent in 11 months
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s gross domestic product (GDP) increase is expected to be 4 percent by the end of 2017 due to stable economic growth rates, said Minister of National Economy Timur Suleimenov at a Dec. 12 governmental meeting. The economy grew by 3.9 percent from January-November against the backdrop of accelerated investment activity, inflationary process…
Officials and experts agree united efforts against corruption give positive results
ASTANA – More than 60 percent of Kazakhstan’s public services are provided in electronic format which has reduced the level of domestic corruption by two-thirds, said State Secretary Gulshara Abdykalikova at the Dec. 8 Modern Anti-Corruption Standards and International Cooperation Development conference in the capital. The event was held one day prior to the UN-recognised…
Open skies initiative proposed for Almaty airport
ASTANA – The open skies initiative proposed for Almaty International Airport will boost tourism and the country’s attractiveness, said Kazakh Tourism Board Deputy Chairperson Timur Duissengaliyev. The national company expects to create a plan to develop air services in cooperation with the International Air Transport Association (IATA). “Today, the tourism sector is accounting for only…
South Kazakhstan region launches asphalt concrete plant for high-quality concrete
ASTANA – An aerated concrete production plant, which plans to manufacture 12,000 cubic metres or 336,000 units of aerated concrete block annually, has opened in the Kazygurt district, South Kazakhstan region. The project was implemented as part of the industrial-innovative development programme, according to the akimat (regional administration) press service. “The launch of a gas-concrete…
Karaganda plant produces organic mare’s milk powder, plans exports
ASTANA – Raw mare’s milk, the traditional drink of nomads, is gaining popularity with consumers in powdered form. To take advantage of the organic trend, a Karaganda region-based plant is using advanced technologies to revive the saumal (raw mare’s milk) obtained through the sublimation process and produce products with the Saumal registered trademark. The facility…
Karaganda region shows growth potential, brings forward modernisation projects
ASTANA – The economic development of the Karaganda region is showing growth in all indicators as the region launches the modernisation programmes, said Akim (Governor) Yerlan Koshanov at a Nov. 23 briefing in the capital. “The region achieved economic growth in the first 10 months of 2017 with an industry growth of 4.1 percent. A…
Kuwaiti envoy: Kazakhstan provides good opportunities for foreign investors
ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Kuwait will celebrate 25 years of diplomatic relations Jan. 11 and in advance of the anniversary, The Astana Times interviewed Kuwaiti Ambassador to Kazakhstan Tareq Abdullah Al-Faraj to learn about the connection and potential for cooperation between the countries. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev’s official visit to Kuwait in 1997 was one…
Astana-Schuchinsk toll road earns more than 1 billion tenge in 10 months
ASTANA – The Astana-Schuchinsk toll road earned more than 1 billion tenge (US$3 million) in the first 10 months of 2017, 4 percent more than 2016’s 964 billion tenge (US$2.9 billion), according to the KazAvtoZhol Company’s press service. Overall, fees amounted to 1.14 billion tenge (US$3.4 million) in 2016, and reached 1.1 billion tenge (US$3.3…
Accademia Teatro alla Scala initiates performing arts trainings for Kazakh artistic groups
ASTANA –The Accademia Teatro alla Scala has announced the launch of a project of technical, artistic and managerial training for Astana Opera soloists, ballet dancers, choir, technical specialists and managers, according to the theatre’s Nov. 20 press release. “The Accademia Teatro alla Scala is one of the world’s major educational institutions. Our creative troupes and…
Kazakh innovation park supports digital industrial transformation, cooperates with multinational companies
ASTANA – The Special Economic Zone “Park of Innovative Technologies” (SEZ PIT) was the Asia-Pacific category winner in fDi’s Global Free Zones of the Year 2017. Experts noted the investors enjoy preferential tax rates, including zero-percent property, corporate income, social and land taxes. The international programmes for domestic and foreign start-ups based on venture financing…
Cultural centre brings Kazakhstan and Japan closer, promotes Japanese traditions, language learning
ASTANA – This year Kazakhstan and Japan are celebrating the 25th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the countries. The Astana Times interviewed Nazerke Dautbayeva, manager of the Kazakh-Japanese Centre for Human Resource Development, to learn about its activities and events. The centre was opened in 2000 as part of the agreement between Ryskulov Economic University…
Shymkent hosts AgriTek 2017
ASTANA – More than 50 companies from Kazakhstan, Russia, South Korea, Turkey and Uzbekistan exhibited products including agricultural machinery and equipment, irrigation technologies, fertilisers, protective equipment for greenhouses, plants, seeds and seedlings, livestock and veterinary technologies at AgriTek 2017, held Nov. 8 in Shymkent. The event attracted about 1,500 visitors, according to Kazinform. At the…
