Articles by Assel Satubaldina

Kossanov’s election platform promises increased reforms

NUR-SULTAN – Amirzhan Kossanov, 55, is among the seven candidates running in Kazakhstan’s June 9 presidential election. In his platform, Kosanov, who positions himself as an opposition candidate, promises political freedoms, protecting the country’s and people’s interests, tougher measures to curb corruption and a course towards European standards. A Kyzylorda native, he was nominated April…

Kazakh SMEs generated more than $73 billion in 2018, continue to grow

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh small and medium sized businesses (SMEs) generated more than 28 trillion tenge (US$73.8 billion) in 2018, said Vice Minister of National Economy Yermek Alpysov at a May 22 press briefing. The number of SMEs also grew 8.3 percent to 1,241,328 compared to 2017, with the most in Almaty, the capital and the…

Kazakhstan seeks to boost number of e-commerce buyers to 15 million by 2025

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh officials say e-commerce friendly legislation and increased agricultural sales have the potential to push e-commerce sales in Kazakhstan to 15 million buyers annually by 2025. E-commerce sales in Kazakhstan increased 1.5 times in 2018 over 2017 to $707.4 million and the number of buyers doubled over 2017 to 2.3 million people. The…

EBRD, UN Climate Fund loan $16.7 million to build 30 MW solar plant in eastern Kazakhstan

NUR-SULTAN – The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) and Green Climate Fund (GCF) will loan $16.7 million to China’s Universal Energy to build a 30 MW solar power plant in Zhangiztobe in the East Kazakhstan region. The agreement was signed during the recent Second Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation in Beijing…

Kazakh ruling party nominates incumbent President Tokayev as candidate for June 9 presidential election

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh ruling Nur Otan party congress unanimously nominated April 23 Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev as the party’s candidate for Kazakhstan’s June 9 presidential election. The nomination was supported by 600 delegates at the congress and was announced by former President and current party Chair Nursultan Nazarbayev. Nazarbayev has described Tokayev as a “close…

Global leaders to focus on ‘inspiring growth’ at Astana Economic Forum

NUR-SULTAN – More than 3,000 domestic and international economists, political leaders and civil society representatives are expected to gather May 16-17 in the Kazakh capital for the annual Astana Economic Forum (AEF). Approximately half the participants will be foreign delegates from more than 100 countries. The forum will address changes in global economies, the social…

Kazakhstan increased exports nearly 25 percent in 2018

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan exported $68.3 billion in goods and services in 2018, a 24.2-percent growth compared to 2017, said Minister of Finance Ruslan Dalenov at the April 16 government meeting. Exports accounted for 40.1 percent of Kazakhstan’s gross domestic product (GDP) and contributed 0.5 percent to the country’s GDP growth. “The growth is primarily due…

Kazakhstan to give teachers up to 30-percent pay hike

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan plans to boost salaries for education system workers from 10-30 percent starting in June in conjunction with the new system of coefficients to be launched that month, said Kazakh Minister of Education Kulyash Shamshidinova at an April 15 press conference. The new set of coefficients for calculating salaries applies to state workers,…

South Korean Lotte Group to sweeten investment in local candy company

NUR-SULTAN – The Rakhat Shymkent confectionery company plans to launch new product lines to produce marmalade by 2019 and sugar biscuits by 2020, said Rakhat Shymkent Director Zhyldyz Rahipbekova. South Korean Lotte Group, which owns 92.44 percent of Rakhat Shymkent’s shares, will invest five billion tenge (US$13.1 million) in the product lines. Rakhat has been…

Kazakh GDP grows 3.8 percent in first quarter of 2019

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s GDP rose 3.8 percent in the first quarter of 2019, said Kazakh First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Alikhan Smailov at an April 10 meeting of the Kazakh Security Council chaired by the country’s First President, Nursultan Nazarbayev. Smailov noted a 4.8 percent decrease in inflation. Investments in fixed capital…

Virtual and augmented reality lab launches in capital school to help kids learn

NUR-SULTAN – The virtual and augmented reality laboratory NurLab recently opened in the 73rd lyceum in the Kazakh capital. The lab gives students there the opportunity to interact with augmented or virtual reality content and create multi-dimensional environments for learning. The laboratory is a joint project of Kazakhstan’s STEM Academia and the Bolashak Association. “This…

Norwegian explorer completes Balkhash expedition, shares conclusions

NUR-SULTAN – Norwegian explorer William Byholt recently crossed Balkhash Lake in central Kazakhstan during a 23-day solo expedition. He covered 570 kilometres using skis and ice skates, becoming the first person to cross the waterway. The Feb. 20-March 15 expedition added to the 27-year-old traveller and mountaineer’s vast experience. Byholt has summited peaks such as…

Kazakhstan to set up cancer molecular genetic laboratories, gears support towards cancer diagnosis, treatment

NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan will establish molecular genetic laboratories in its effort to boost support for early cancer diagnosis and treatment, said Minister of Healthcare Yelzhan Birtanov at the recent Mazhilis (lower house of Parliament) meeting. This year, the nation will allocate an additional 309 million tenge (US$817,287) to conduct molecular genetic testing of lung, breast,…

Kazakhstan, Egypt trade $84 million in 2018, emphasise huge untapped potential

ASTANA – Kazakhstan and Egypt, celebrating 27 years of diplomatic relations, recorded $83.9 million in trade turnover in 2018, a 29-percent increase compared to the previous year. The countries noted huge untapped potential during the Kazakh-Egyptian business forum hosted March 5 in the capital and involving business and government representatives. Egyptian Deputy Minister of Trade…

ADB to loan Baikonur Solar $11.5 million to build solar power plant in Kyzylorda Region

ASTANA – The Asian Development Bank (ADB) recently signed a $11.5 million loan agreement with Baikonur Solar to provide the loan in tenge to build a 50 MW solar power plant in the Kyzylorda Region in southern Kazakhstan. Baikonur Solar, owned by United Green Energy and Baiterek Venture Fund, a subsidiary of Baiterek Holding, is…

Hilton plans to open DoubleTree hotel in Almaty in 2020

NUR-SULTAN – Hilton Group plans to expand its presence in Kazakhstan with the first DoubleTree by Hilton hotel opening its doors in Almaty in 2020. The new 112-room hotel will join 560 upscale hotels in 45 countries managed by DoubleTree by Hilton. The eleven-floor hotel will be on a 16,000-square-metre lot along at 115 Dosmukhamedov…

Current Kazakh grain volume sufficient to meet domestic demand, says minister

ASTANA – The Kazakh grain market has seen positive growth in the past year. The volume reached 10.5 million tonnes, sufficient to meet the country’s domestic demand and satisfy export needs, said Minister of Agriculture Saparkhan Omarov at a March 15 press conference. Approximately 3.7 million tonnes are stored at licensed grain collecting facilities, 462,000…

FemAgora festival encourages Almaty community to explore gender equality

ASTANA – As the world celebrated March 8 International Women’s Day, the Almaty community had a chance to explore and promote gender equality through the prism of art, media, health, science, cinema, economics and politics during the week-long FemAgora festival. The event was designed to show different examples of women sharing their success stories and…

Kazakh national social insurance fund accumulates $3.7 billion, envisions changes

ASTANA – As of January, the National Social Insurance Fund has accumulated 1.4 trillion tenge (US$3.7 billion) and is reaching 6.126 million citizens, or 70.3 percent of the country’s working population, said Vice Minister of Labour and Social Protection Svetlana Zhakupova at the recent discussion by the Mazhilis (lower house of Parliament) of the mandatory…

Nurly Zhol finishes first phase, as second phase to be presented in March

ASTANA –The first phase of the 2015-2019 Nurly Zhol programme, designed to upgrade infrastructure build-up throughout the country, will be completed this year. The plan for the second phase will be presented in March. The programme received 791 billion tenge (US$2.1 billion) in 2018, including 437.2 billion (US$1.16 billion) from the national budget. The funding…

Norwegian embarks on solo crossing of Balkhash Lake for first time in Kazakh history

ASTANA – Using skis and ice skates, Norwegian William Byholt is in the midst of crossing Balkhash Lake in central Kazakhstan for the first time in the nation’s history. The solo expedition, supported by the Kazakh Geographic Society, started Feb. 20 and is expected to take 20-23 days, said Kazakh Geographic Society project manager Magzhan…

Dimash, Daneliya advance to next stage of CBS’ ‘The World’s Best’

ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s rising singing stars Dimash Kudaibergen and Daneliya Tuleshova advanced to the next round in the latest episode of “The World’s Best,” the global talent competition show that premiered Feb. 3 on CBS. Kudaibergen and Tuleshova are among 24 contestants. The latest episode, which aired Feb. 20, saw them compete in the first…

Japanese spring festival celebrates Japanese, Kazakh culture in Astana

ASTANA – Capital residents will have a chance to get acquainted with Japanese traditional music and classics, as the Japanese Spring Festival comes to the city Feb. 27 for its eleventh edition this year. The Organ Hall of the Kazakh National University of Arts will host the concert. The concert will feature the performance of…

Kazakhstan has two and a half million hectares of unused agricultural land

ASTANA – Kazakhstan, the ninth largest country by area in the world, has two and a half million hectares of unused land. Measures taken recently by the Ministry of Agriculture found 388,000 hectares in use and 804,000 returned to the state. The remaining 1.4 million hectares will be returned to the country through legal proceedings.…

Kazakh clock-in, clock-out automation service start-up plans expanding to Southeast Asia

ASTANA – Kazakh start-up Clockster, a clock-in, clock-out automation service powered by biometric identification, seeks to expand to Southeast Asia after selling four devices to SubicWorx in the Philippines, said CEO Yerzhan Ryskaliyev in an interview with The Astana Times. Kazakhstan is well known for its abundant natural resources, but is far less known for…