Turkestan becomes centre of investments and business activity
More than a year and a half has passed since the First President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev signed a decree establishing a new region (oblast) with an administrative centre in Turkestan. Today, ancient Turkestan is turning into a modern city, while maintaining its historic appearance. Turkestan has long been a centre of…
Three Kazakh cyber players among top 30 most popular in CIS
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh cyber athletes Dauren (AdreN) Kystaubayev, Alexey (qikert) Golubev and Abay (Hobbit) Khassenov were among the top 30 most mentioned Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) players in 2019, reported Vesti.kz. All are professional Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) players. Sports portal cybersport.ru completed a study last year on the media popularity of cyber athletes. It…
Kazakh government commissions Saryarka gas pipeline
NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh government completed the construction and commissioning of the Saryarka gas pipeline Dec. 27, reported the Ministry of Energy’s press service. The pipeline, which starts in the Kyzylorda Region, will provide domestic gas to Karaganda, the capital, Temirtau and Zhezkazgan and nearly 2.7 million people in 171 settlements along its route will…
Almaty institute develops plan to modernise thermal electric station with minimised environmental effect
NUR-SULTAN – Experts from the Almaty-based KazNIPIEnergoprom Institute are developing a feasibility study to gasify the Almaty energy complex and modernise Thermal Electric Station number 2 with minimised environmental effect, reported the city akimat (administration) press service. Preliminary project results will be available in March. Several options are under consideration including transit to gas, using…
Kazakhstan attends flag installation ceremony for new non-permanent UNSC members
NUR-SULTAN – The Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan to the United Nations took part Jan. 2 in the official flag installation ceremony of the newly elected non-permanent members of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) at the United Nations headquarters, reported the mission. Estonia, Niger, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, Tunisia and Vietnam are the newest…
Kazakhstan makes healthcare, payment and salary changes to social sector for 2020
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan’s list of social changes for 2020 include implementing a mandatory health insurance system, new social payments, salary increases, restrictions on loans for low income citizens and decreased foreign worker quota. The compulsory social health insurance system took effect Jan. 1. Employers will now deduct 1 percent of accrued income from each employee’s…
Corruption call centre operates round the clock
NUR-SULTAN – The call centre launched by the Kazakh Anti-Corruption Agency, where citizens are asked to dial #1424 to report all cases of corruption, is demonstrating results. “Call centre 1424 of the anti-corruption service calls on citizens to take an active part in improving the anti-corruption policy, make suggestions and recommendations and promptly report corruption…
Kazakhstan to introduce cashless payments for initial house, car sales
NUR-SULTAN – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, speaking during the second meeting of the National Council of Public Trust last December, instructed the government and National Bank to implement a cashless payment system for initial house and car sales. “The government and the National Bank should prepare a package of legislative amendments to introduce cashless payments in the…
Domestic car production Kazakhstan’s fastest growing industry in 2019
NUR-SULTAN – KazAvtoProm, the Kazakh automobile industry union, has published results from the country’s automakers for the first 11 months of the year. They found that 45,208 vehicles (including cars, trucks, buses, special vehicles and trailers) with a total value of 312.5 billion tenge (US$813.8 million) were produced in the country. “The high demand for…
Amendment obliges agriculture graduates to work three years in rural areas
NUR-SULTAN – Beginning in 2020, agricultural university graduates studying under the rural youth quota system will be required to work in the country’s rural areas for three years. The Ministry of Agriculture believes the measure will help resolve domestic farmers growing need for professional staff. The ministry has initiated a number of amendments to national…
Kazakhstan hosts Qazaq Kuresi wrestling world championship
NUR-SULTAN – Aktobe hosted the Qazaq Kuresi (Kazakh national wrestling) World Championship Dec. 17, with 200 athletes competing for the title. “Holding a home World Championship for us is both a challenge and a valuable experience. I want to say special thanks to the leadership of the region and the International Federation of Qazaq Kuresi,…
Kazakh President directs improvements to nation’s universities
NUR-SULTAN – Government officials discussed their dissatisfaction with the education level at certain higher education institutions and ways to implement improvements. Operations at five Kazakh universities were recently halted. “Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev instructed the government to take strict measures regarding universities, which have turned into offices for printing and issuing diplomas. Today, 132 universities…
Altai Kulginov becomes capital Athletics Federation president
NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakhstan Athletics Federation elected capital Akim (Mayor) Altai Kulginov as president of the city’s Athletics Federation during its Dec. 11 conference, reported the akimat website. “Given the achievements and shortcomings [of athletics], there is a need to move forward. Track and field athletics is a sport close to my heart. It is…
Nur-Sultan hosts first domestic light industry congress
NUR-SULTAN – The capital hosted the country’s first domestic light industry congress Dec. 11. The event demonstrated the potential of state, business and non-government organisation (NGO) partnerships. The congress attracted representatives from more than 120 enterprises. The programme, involving heads of authorised state bodies, Mazhilis (lower house of Parliament) deputies and major manufacturers, included discussions…
Kazakhstan to publish Jan. 1 list of medications covered by national healthcare system
NUR-SULTAN – The list of medications covered by the reformed Kazakh healthcare system will be publicly available Jan. 1, said Ministry of Healthcare Committee for Control of Goods Quality and Safety chairwoman Lyudmila Byurabekova Dec. 10. “We now have a list for free outpatient medication support. The procurement of medications has already begun. The lists…
Kazakhstan to accede to convention against tax evasion
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakhstan will accede to the Convention on Mutual Administrative Assistance in Tax Matters. The Mazhilis (lower chamber of Parliament) ratified the convention Dec. 11 for implementing measures related to tax agreements to counter base erosion and profit shifting (BEPS) presented by First Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Finance Alikhan Smailov. “This convention…
Stipends to be increased equally for all students, says Minister of Education and Science
NUR-SULTAN – The Ministry of Education and Science will increase undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students’ stipends by 25 percent beginning Jan. 1, reported Minister of Education and Science Askhat Aimagambetov at the Dec. 10 briefing in the capital. Photo credit: tengrinews.kz. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev requested the increases at the Dec. 10 ceremony marking the end…
Nur-Sultan medical organisations ready to implement compulsory medical insurance
NUR-SULTAN – As Kazakhstan prepares for the Jan. 1 launch of its Compulsory Social and Medical Insurance (CSMI), the capital Healthcare Department confirmed its readiness to implement the programme at the Dec. 10 city akimat (administration) meeting, reported its press service. CSMI is designed to increase the quality of services, lower costs and make healthcare…
Experts suggest Kazakhstan limit external debts
NUR-SULTAN – Experts suggested at the recent Strategic Initiatives Forum in Nur-Sultan that Kazakhstan should cease relying on external debts. “We suggest there is a need for active investment policies. Our previous capital amnesties were formally successful, but there are still many assets abroad, which can be returned. At the same time, while transitioning to…
Nur-Sultan storm sewer problem to be fully solved by 2030
NUR-SULTAN – The capital will be outfitted with a complete drainage system by 2030, said Marhabat Zhayymbetov, Chairman of the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructural Development’s Committee for Construction, Housing and Utilities. His comments came during the Water Security of Kazakhstan: State, Problems and Recommendations parliamentary hearings, where Senator Yedil Mamytbekov asked what measures the…
Kazakh National Bank issues limited edition coins
NUR-SULTAN – Kazakh National Bank issued a limited edition coin collection Nov. 27 in denominations of 100 tenge (US$0.26), 200 tenge (US$0.52) and 500 tenge (US$1.30). The 100 and 200-tenge coins are named Kόbelek (butterfly) and the Lasiommata maera, made of nickel and silver, and are part of the flora and fauna series. The 500-tenge…
Kazakhstan’s light industry boosts production by 18.9 percent in 2019
NUR-SULTAN – The volume of production of light industry products in Kazakhstan increased by 18.9 percent over the first 10 months of this year compared to the same period in 2018 and amounted to 87.5 billion tenge (US$227 million), the press service of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development said Nov. 19. “Growth of…
Kazakh National Olympic Committee names country’s best athletes for 2019
NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh National Olympic Committee recognised the country’s best athletes for 2019 Nov. 30 during the Altyn Samgau awards ceremony in the capital. In traditional fashion, eminent and titled sports veterans including Victor Aboimov, Guzel Manyurova, Kuralbek Ordabayev, Olga Shishigina and Zhaksylyk Ushkempirov presented the awards. Boxer Bekzad Nurdauletov won the title of…
Kazakh pension system should be reformed using Singaporean model, says expert
NUR-SULTAN – The Kazakh pension system should be reformed using the Singapore model, said Centre for Strategic Development senior partner Olzhas Khudaibergenov Nov. 20 during the second Strategic Initiatives Forum. “Recently, a ranking of the best pension systems was published. If you take the top 10 countries, their pension systems assume that when transitioning (to…
Saryarqa gas pipeline construction in Nur-Sultan to be completed in December
NUR-SULTAN – The Saryarqa gas pipeline construction is nearing completion, said Vice Minister of Energy Murat Zhurebekov at a Nov. 20 press conference. “Work on the construction of branch pipelines, five automated gas distribution stations, a gas metering station and a control point is underway. In general, the work is on schedule and in December…
