Mass Vaccination Begins in Kazakhstan
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan kicked off its mass vaccination Feb. 1 with Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine, reported Kazakh Healthcare Ministry press service. “We use global experience in fighting the epidemic, and the vaccine is the only reliable tool to fight the pandemic. All expenses to vaccinate the citizens are incurred by the state,” wrote Kazakh President…
Supreme Council for Reforms Explores National Development Targets, Further Reforms
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev chaired the third meeting of the Supreme Council for Reforms that focused on the implementation of the National Development Plan through 2025, a new state planning system, development of the public administration through 2030, among others projects, reported the Akorda press service. The meeting was attended by Kazakh Prime…
Kazakhstan Presents New Latin Alphabet, Plans Gradual Transition Through 2031
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan reaffirmed its plans to transition to a Latin-based Kazakh alphabet, as the national commission that gathered Jan. 28 presented a new version of the Kazakh alphabet. While the country plans to celebrate the 30th anniversary of its independence this year, the announcement comes as a step forward in its broader plan to…
Almaty Tightens COVID-19 Restrictions as Cases Continue to Surge
NUR-SULTAN – Working hours for cafes, restaurants, and trade malls were restricted in Almaty, based on the Jan. 28 decree of Almaty’s chief sanitary doctor Zhandaberk Bekshin, among other restrictions. The new decree restricts the operating hours of trade malls from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays and closes them for weekends. Cafes and…
Kazakhstan to Open New Agency, Offer Greater Government Support to Businesses, Reform Investment Mechanisms
NUR-SULTAN – Plans for 2021 have been set for the Kazakh government, as Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev outlined priorities and gave instruction to the cabinet, the Akorda press service reported. Business and investment Supporting an economy that suffered from the coronavirus pandemic is the first priority. “Businesses were hit by the pandemic and quarantine restrictions…
Kazakhstan Enters Red Zone, as COVID-19 Cases Surge, Says Kazakh Healthcare Minister
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan has entered the red zone, as it continues to witness rising coronavirus cases, said Kazakh Healthcare Minister Alexey Tsoy during an expanded government meeting on Jan. 26 chaired by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. According to the daily assessment of the epidemiological situation conducted by the ministry, there are eight regions in the…
Kazakhstan Welcomes Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan welcomes the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons that came into effect Jan. 22, said the Kazakh Foreign Ministry in a statement. “The Treaty, adopted on July 7, 2017, with the support of 122 United Nations Member States, is an important step towards the complete elimination of nuclear weapons. Kazakhstan took…
Expanded Government Meeting Outlines Priorities for 2021
NUR-SULTAN – The expanded government meeting chaired by Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokaeyv identified seven priority areas for the year ahead, the Kazakh Prime Minister’s press service reported. This is the first expanded meeting for the new government following the January 10 parliamentary elections, as required by the constitution. The government identified seven priority areas. These…
Kazakhstan Allows Citizens to Withdraw Pensions Savings as Part of Broader Pension System Reform
NUR-SULTAN – Starting January 23, Kazakh citizens are able to withdraw part of their pension savings to improve their housing conditions on an online platform run by the Otbasy Housing Construction and Saving Bank, a subsidiary of the Baiterek national holding. The savings can be used to pay back a mortgage loan, buy new housing,…
Kazakh Capital Nur-Sultan to Focus on Becoming Greener, Pedestrian Friendly
NUR-SULTAN – A large green urban area will be built in the Kazakh capital of Nur-Sultan that will include seven city parks, the city’s press service reported. It is part of the effort to make the capital more pedestrian friendly and people-oriented. The new urban space will have bike lanes and pedestrian walkways, a skatepark,…
Investments in Turkestan Region Grow 60 Percent in 2020, Reach $1.6 Billion
NUR-SULTAN – The Turkestan Region in southern Kazakhstan attracted 703.3 billion tenge of investments (US$1.68 billion) in fixed capital, a 60 percent growth compared to 2019, the Kazakh Prime Minister’s press service revealed. The region is among the country’s leaders in terms of investment growth rate and growth of gross regional product. The region’s social…
Kazakhstan Extends Permitted Period of Departure for Foreign Nationals Amid Increased COVID-19 Restrictions
NUR-SULTAN – All foreign nationals whose legal permitting documents have expired or will expire until June 5, 2021, will be able to leave the country without an administrative fine, according to the recent decision of the interdepartmental commission on the prevention of coronavirus spread, said Sabyrzhan Seitzhanov, deputy chair of the migration committee at the…
Fitch Remains Optimistic, Forecasts Kazakhstan’s Budget Deficit to Narrow in 2021
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s fiscal deficit is expected to narrow to 2.1 percent of the country’s gross domestic product from the current 6.4 percent, said Fitch Rating analysts in their latest report devoted to the recent parliamentary elections in Kazakhstan. The forecast along with a balanced budget, they explained, is due to the “tapering down of…
Kazakh Feature Film “The Crying Steppe” Selected as Kazakhstan’s Entry For the Oscars (Video)
NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh feature film “The Crying Steppe” directed by Marina Kunarova has been included in the long list as Kazakhstan’s entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 93rd Academy Awards scheduled for April 25 this year. The film tells the story behind real events that happened in Kazakhstan in 1931-33, when…
Kazakh Capital Nur-Sultan Attracts Record $2.6 Billion Investments in 2020
NUR-SULTAN – The year 2020 was harsh for many economies worldwide with capital cities everywhere going into lockdowns. For the Kazakh capital of Nur-Sultan, however, the last year has become a record one, as it attracted 1.1 trillion tenge (US$2.6 billion) of investments in 2020, according to the city’s press service. It is 20 percent…
Dimash Kudaibergen’s Online Concert Attracts Viewers From 100 Countries
NUR-SULTAN – World famous Kazakh pop singer Dimash Kudaibergen has once again stunned the world. Kudaibergen’s online concert, his first during the pandemic, has gathered viewers from 100 countries worldwide. The concert was streamed live Jan. 16 on the Tixr American streaming platform that previously hosted virtual large-scale concerts with millions of people for celebrities…
Kazakhstan to Hit Coronavirus Peak in March, Says Kazakh Healthcare Minister
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan may reach a coronavirus peak in the end of March, said Kazakh Healthcare Minister Alexey Tsoy at a Jan. 19 government meeting. The ministry’s working group has been dealing with forecasting different scenarios of how an epidemiological situation may unfold. It has prepared the projections through the end of 2021 given the…
Kazakh Capital Introduces New COVID-19 Restrictions Amid Surge in Cases, Cancels Epiphany Bathing Holiday
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan is witnessing a surge in coronavirus cases and to address the spike, the nation saw another tightening of COVID-19 restrictions. Starting Jan. 18, the Kazakh capital Nur-Sultan restricted operating hours for cafes, and restaurants, according to a new decree of the city’s chief doctor Sarkhat Beisenova. With the new rules in place,…
New Kazakh Parliament Has Pressing Responsibility to Implement Tokayev’s Reforms, Say Political Experts
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev addressed the first session of the newly elected Kazakh Parliament Jan. 15. Political experts believe the Kazakh legislative body has a huge responsibility to ensure the reforms announced by Tokayev will come into effect. Among the initiatives voiced by Tokayev were introducing a five percent electoral threshold for parties…
Epidemiological Situation in Kazakhstan Worsens, Says Vice Healthcare Minister
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s Vice Healthcare Minister and Chief Sanitary Doctor Yerlan Kiyasov reported on the worsening epidemiological situation in Kazakhstan at a Jan.13 press briefing at the Central Communications Services. As of Jan. 15, Kazakhstan had 166,146 coronavirus cases and 2,386 deaths. 835 new cases were recorded over the past day. Kazakhstan also confirmed 46,666…
Kazakhstan Completes Five-Year Privatisation Plan, Says Kazakh Finance Minister
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan successfully completed its privatization plan for 2016-2020, said Kazakh Minister of Finance Yerulan Zhamaubayev at a Jan. 12 government meeting. In 2015, Kazakhstan developed a privatisation plan to decrease the participation of the state in the country’s economy – up to 15 percent of the gross domestic product. Despite the big plans,…
Kazakh GDP Shrinks By 2.6 Percent in 2020, Says Kazakh Economy Minister
NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh economy shrank by 2.6 percent in 2020 as it takes a heavy hit from the coronavirus pandemic, said Kazakh Minister of National Economy Ruslan Dalenov. State support measures, growing investment activity in the non-extractive sectors, real sector growth and increasing in lending supported the economy throughout 2020, said the minister. “The…
Turkish Company Invests $5.2 Million in Wood Processing Plant in Northern Kazakhstan
NUR-SULTAN – A wood processing plant opened in Petropavlovsk in the North Kazakhstan Region, Kazakh Invest press service reported. Turkish company Butuğ İnşaat headquartered in Ankara invested in the project. The opening ceremony was attended by North Kazakhstan Regional Governor Kumar Aksakalov, Atamaken Regional Chamber of Entrepreneurs Head Arman Urazgulov and Kazakh Invest Regional Director…
Exit Poll Confirms Nur Otan Party Lead in Kazakh Parliamentary Elections
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s ruling Nur Otan Party is leading in the election to Majilis – the lower house of the Kazakh Parliament – with 71.97 percent of votes, according to exit poll results announced at midnight on Jan. 11 by the head of the Qogamdyq Pikir (Public Opinion) Research Institute Ainur Mazhitova. The Ak Zhol…
Party Leaders Vote, Express Hope Elections Will Be Fair, Transparent
NUR-SULTAN – Election day continues in Kazakhstan and the leaders of the parties participating in the parliamentary elections also voted. This year, five political parties are competing for seats. Together they are the Nur Otan ruling party, People’s Party of Kazakhstan, Auyl (Village) democratic patriotic party, Ak Zhol (White Way), and Adal (Faithful) parties. Kazakhstan’s…
