World Bank names conference hall in Washington after bank’s first female Kazakh employee
ASTANA – The World Bank recently named a conference hall in its Washington offices after the first Kazakh woman hired by the bank. The conference hall was named after Alma Ourazalinova who died in 2015 after battling an illness and who worked for the World Bank for more than two decades. Ourazalinova held a degree…
More than 500,000 Kazakh residents are on travel ban list due to unpaid debts
ASTANA – More than 500,000 Kazakh residents cannot travel overseas because of unpaid debts. As of December 13, 690,529 temporary restrictions have been imposed on travel outside the country, including 164,972 temporary restrictions in 2016 and 229,656 this year, noted a statement released by the Ministry of Justice. According to the law “On enforcement proceedings…
All Kazakh regional centres to be covered with 4G by end of 2017
ASTANA – Deputy Chairman of the State Control Committee in the field of Communications, Informatisation and Mass Media of Kazakhstan Mikhail Komissarov recently announced Kazakhstan hopes to cover all regional centres with 4G by the end of 2017. “The coverage of the population by 3G services amounted to 86.8 percent in 2016. 4G mobile services…
Bank Islam issues bank cards corresponding with Sharia law
ASTANA – Bank Islam recently presented its first cards conforming to the principles and norms of the Sharia law, to the Kazakhstan retail market. The Islamic card is distinguished by the absence of a prohibited percentage – riba, – that is, a ban on the calculation of interest on the balance of funds on the…
TV films to be produced about 100 New Faces
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s 100 New Faces will become recognisable visages. An equal number of TV films will be made about the programme’s participants and the country’s new heroes will deliver motivational speeches at schools, colleges, universities and youth meetings, said Minister of Information and Communications Dauren Abayev at a public council meeting dedicated to promoting…
Multiple arrests made in suspected laundering of more than $50 million
ASTANA – The interdepartmental investigative and operational group of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau and the National Security Committee apprehended Nov. 13 in Almaty Iskander Yerimbetov, Vasilina Sokolenko, Dmitriy Pestov and Mikhail Zorov on suspicion of embezzlement and money laundering. The Anti-Corruption Bureau reports that pre-trial investigations were requested by BTA Bank officials about the involvement…
Kazakh ban on anonymous web comments explained
ASTANA – The bill on Amendments and Additions to Some Legislative Acts on Information and Communications prohibiting anonymous Internet comments was explained recently by Minister of Information and Communications Dauren Abayev. The ban is necessary to control statements that incite interethnic discord or negative comments that offend citizens. “We plan to make it possible for…
Nazarbayev discusses energy projects with Royal Dutch Shell, Chevron management
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev recently discussed the status of energy projects in Kazakhstan, including the Karachaganak and Kashagan fields, with Chief Executive Director of the Royal Dutch Shell Ben van Berden and Chairman of the Board of Directors and Chief Executive Officer of Chevron John Watson. Van Buren noted that Nov. 18 marked the 20th…
National Chamber of Entrepreneurs head calls for limiting tax increases
ASTANA – Increases in social taxes could provoke businesses to turn to the black market to avoid payment, Chairman of Presidium of Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs Timur Kulibayev said at the Nov. 29 meeting of the presidium. “The government keeps raising some payments. So we have more than 40 percent of the so-called pressure,…
President Nazarbayev to meet with 100 new faces project participants
ASTANA – Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev will meet with the participants in the 100 new faces project, said Minister of Information and Communications Dauren Abayev at an international parliamentary conference devoted to the Day of First President of Kazakhstan. “We have completed the first stage of the project, choosing 102 persons throughout the country. The…
Kazakhstan exports more than 800 goods to 113 countries
ASTANA – Kazakhstan exports more than 800 manufactured products to 113 countries, ranking 52nd among the largest exporting countries, said Minister for Investment and Development Zhenis Kassymbek. The government plans to increase the nation’s non-oil exports by 50 percent by 2025. “Today, Kazakhstan ranks 52nd among the largest exporting countries; in total, we export over…
Mazhilis reviews draft bill on repeated debt restructuring
ASTANA – Deputies of the Mazhilis, the lower house of the Kazakh Parliament, recently reviewed the draft bill on repeated restructuring of the debt owed by the Georgian government. Majilis chair Nurlan Nigmatullin urged the nation’s Ministry of Finance to advance the negotiations on similar debts involving other countries. Georgia took the $27.774-million loan in…
International journalists tour major Kazakh cities
ASTANA – More than 20 foreign journalists toured around Astana, Almaty, Shymkent and Turkestan as part of a week-long press tour initiated by Foreign Ministry and Ministry of Culture and Sports. The press tour aimed to help the journalists get a broad view of Kazakhstan’s cultural diversity and potential. “The Kazakh Foreign Ministry arranges press…
Kazakh Agency for Civil Service and Anti-Corruption reports on 2017 activities
ASTANA – Chairman of the Agency for Civil Service and Anti-Corruption Kairat Kozhamzharov briefed Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev on the agency’s activities for the last 10 months, including efforts to carry out anticorruption policies, according to Akorda’s press service. Kozhamzharov also mentioned international commendation for Kazakhstan’s efforts “For 10 months of the current year, 3,400…
Central Asian nation leaders to be invited to Kazakh capital for Nauryz celebration
ASTANA – Heads of Central Asian countries are to be invited to Astana for the Nauryz celebrations in March, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Kairat Abdrakhmanov said during the Nov. 27 international parliamentary conference dedicated to the Day of the First President of Kazakhstan. “We will work with all our neighbours to put into…
Kazakhstan team takes second place in Arm-wrestling World Cup
ASTANA – Kazakh athletes took second place in the overall team competition at the Arm-wrestling World Cup held in Rumia, Poland. The Arm-wrestling World Cup, held Nov.16-19, brought together the strongest handlers from 31 countries. The Kazakhstan team included 26 athletes. Ahmed Aliyev, the honoured coach of Kazakhstan and vice president of the Arm-wrestling Federation,…
Flying minibuses to start operation between cities and villages
ASTANA – Small passenger airplanes will soon begin flying between small Kazakh cities and villages, according to the Facebook page of Acting Deputy Chairman of Civil Aviation Committee of Ministry of Investment and Development Tota Amirova. “We are now working to acquire a large number of small new aircraft and have already called these aircraft…
Shchuchinsk-Borovoe resort reservoirs to be cleaned, sanitised
ASTANA – The Kazakh government has allocated 15.7 billion tenge (US$47.3 million) to clean and sanitise reservoirs the Shchuchinsk-Borovoe resort zone, including Shchuchye, Borovoe and Karasu lakes from 2017 to 2022. Approximately 1.2 billion tenge (US$3,619,000) will be used to plant 233 hectares of the resort zone near the Big Chebachie Lake and Tekekol Lake.…
Astana’s main Christmas tree will be at EXPO 2017 site
ASTANA – The capital’s main Christmas tree, as well as the ice rink, will be situated on the expo grounds, said EXPO 2017 commericialisation department director Daulet Yerkimbayev. “We are opening a unique ice rink. Its area is more than 3,500 square kilometres. It will be no ordinary shape. I can assure you that there…
Kazakh athlete wins gold at World Sambo Championship
ASTANA – Yesset Kuanov won a gold medal in the up to 62 kilogrammes (kg) weight category at the World Sambo Championship in Sochi, reported Tass.ru. The event, held Nov. 9-13, gathered athletes from 93 countries. “In the weight category up to 62 kilogrammes the winner is Kazakh athlete Yesset Kuanov, who won in the…
New Kazakh sports drama to be unveiled in December
ASTANA – Kazakhstan’s first sports drama television series, about the challenging path of a young man in a professional cycling, was shot in the country, 24.kz reports. As the producers note, the main characters of the series, “Arman Zholynda” (“Path of the Dream”) were shot without doubles. To make the show look as realistic as…
Kazakhstan to start aviation fuel production in 2018, reducing dependence on Russia
ASTANA – Three Kazakh oil refineries will start producing aviation fuel in the second half of 2018 and are expected to be able to fully supply the Kazakh market. “We expect that in the second half of 2018, we will fully supply domestic market with aviation fuel, and we will be able to control its…
Kazakh native, New York policeman wins 13th boxing victory
ASTANA – Kazakh native Dimash Niyazov, a boxer by day and New York City policeman by night, recently defeated American Agustin Mauras, reported vesti.kz. The pair appeared on the undercard of the battle between Daniel Jacobs (33-2, 29 KOs) and Luis Arias (18-1, 9 KOs). The fight was scheduled as a six-rounder, but Niyazov defeated…
Altyn Zhurek award winners named
ASTANA – The names of Kazakhstan’s newest charity givers were announced in October. Altyn Zhurek awards ceremony at Abay State Academic Opera and Ballet Theater in Almaty. Charity and philanthropy development among the Kazakhstan people have been gaining increasing support in the last few years. Business communities are also investing significant amounts to develop socially-important…
Nurlan Sauranbayev appointed Shymkent mayor
ASTANA – Nurlan Sauranbayev has been appointed new Akim (Mayor) of Shymkent, the third largest city in Kazakhstan. He replaced Gabidulla Abdrakhimov, who was appointed Secretary of Kazakhstan’s ruling Nur Otan party. Throughout his career, Sauranbayev worked in national companies, including Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, KazMunayGas, served as vice minister for industry and new technologies and…
