Almaty 2017 Winter Universiade recognised as best in competition’s history
ASTANA – The Expert Council of International University Sports Federation (FISU) has recognised the Winter Universiade in Almaty as the best in the history of international student competitions, according to an organisation press release. Almaty’s Grand Hyatt Hotel hosted a meeting of the FISU Executive Committee. The key event of this session was the council’s final report,…
Turkey proposes visa-free regime with Kazakhstan for migrant workers
ASTANA – Turkish Minister of Economy Nihat Zeybekci proposed during the recent Kazakh-Turkish business forum a visa-free regime for migrant workers between Turkey and Kazakhstan, Astana TV channel reports. He said both countries have been cooperating for a long time. And over the years of joint work, Turkey has invested about $2 billion in Kazakhstan…
New rules seek to improve emergency medical response
ASTANA – New rules for emergency medical care will provide high-quality emergency medical assistance, according to Vice Minister of Healthcare Lyazzat Aktayeva. “Now there are four categories for emergency calls, three of them have potential and immediate threats to life and health, ambulances will immediately go out for such calls. The fourth category is calls…
Best Capital Employee voting begins in Astana
ASTANA – An online vote called Yenbek Zholy, to determine the best employee of the capital, will be held among the employees of various enterprises from Aug. 1 to 31, the media centre of the Astana akimat (city administration) reported. Twenty-three applications were submitted for participation in the contest between May 20 and July 20.…
Russian companies to cooperate with Kazakh space industry
ASTANA – Due to the Russian National Day at EXPO 2017, a delegation from Chelyabinsk region led by its Governor Boris Dubrovskiy visited Kazakhstan National Space Centre. This meeting gave the parties new opportunities to identify new areas of cooperation. The delegation included members of the regional authorities and representatives of the region’s business community.…
Kazakhstan gets sea access using Chinese logistics centres
ASTANA – Chinese logistics centres become more accessible to Kazakhstan within the One Belt, One Road project. An initiative announced by Chinese President Xi Jinping in 2013, One Belt, One Road is aimed at reviving and boosting cooperation between countries that once laid along the Silk Way route linking Asia and Europe. Part of the…
Social health insurance fund accumulates $2.4 million in July
ASTANA – The Social Health Insurance Fund received 800 million tenge (US$2.4 million) in payments in July, according to Fund Chairperson Yelena Bakhmutova. “According to the preliminary data, the total volume of contributions exceeded 800 million tenge (US$2.4 million), so this means that the number of people that got insured went above 384,000. We expect…
64-year-old volunteer enjoys her EXPO 2017 experience
ASTANA – EXPO 2017 visitors learn not only about future energy opportunities, but also about the inexhaustible human energy. Native of Kokshetau Batima Kussainova, 64, volunteered to participate in the large-scale event. “When I came to the expo organising committee in February, I was accepted with great pleasure out of the competition and awarded the…
Kazakh alphabet in Latin script to be developed by end of 2017
ASTANA – The Kazakh alphabet in the Latin script will be developed by the end of the year, said Minister of Education and Science Yerlan Sagadiyev during a recent press conference. According to him, this is the country’s most important project and it must be done right. “It is important to be cautious here. This…
Kazakh Ministry of Agriculture to launch more than 30 small dairies
ASTANA – The Kazakh Ministry of Agriculture has revealed plans to create 31 dairies within the development of small-scale agricultural processing enterprises, said Vice Minister of Agriculture Gulmira Issayeva. “The ministry pays special attention to the development of small processing enterprises; there are plans to create 31 mini-centres for milk processing, so-called cheese-making centres. Also,…
Chinese businessperson plans to export Almaty apples to China
ASTANA – Chinese businessperson Jin Xiau Ming intends to supply Almaty Aport apples to China. Although he has never seen Almaty apples, he has repeatedly heard of this famous variety of the fruit. “I heard that Almaty is known as a city of apples. I was told that an apple here could weigh up to…
Kazakhstan establishes national tourism development company
ASTANA – The Kazakh government recently launched the Kazakh Tourism National Company to develop the sector and attract investment. “The first task for the company is to promote the tourism potential of Kazakhstan abroad and attract investment. We want to attract investors to the tourism industry. I am sure that many investors are interested in…
Kazakh exports increase almost 40 percent, as economy grows 4.2 percent in first half of 2017
ASTANA – Kazakh exports increased 37.6 percent in the first half of 2017, Kazakh Minister of National Economy Timur Suleimenov announced at a recent government meeting. “In January-May of this year, the country’s foreign trade turnover grew 29.2 percent to $29.9 billion as a result of renewed demand and growth in prices. The export rose…
Government employment, training policies show positive results
ASTANA – One-hundred-seventy-four individuals started their own businesses and 384 loans were granted in the first half of this year as part of the second direction of the Productive Employment and Mass Entrepreneurship Development programme, announced Birzhan Nurymbetov, Vice Minister of Labour and Social Protection at a July 11 press briefing. “It is planned to…
State programme helps employ more than 80,000 people
ASTANA – More than 82,000 people were employed in the first half of 2017 under the third direction of the Productive Employment and Mass Entrepreneurship Development Programme. As part of the employment assistance, more than 82,000 Kazakh citizens were employed in social workplaces, youth practice and public works in the first half of the year,…
Most popular vocational specialties in Kazakhstan include cook, seamstress, accountant
ASTANA – Cook, seamstress, accountant, hairdresser, electrician and welder are among Kazakhstan’s most popular vocational specialties, according to Vice Minister of Labour and Social Protection Birzhan Nurymbetov. He presented the list at a briefing on the progress in the implement ion of the 2017-2021 productive employment and mass entrepreneurship development programme for the first half…
Doctors, legislatures alarmed that increased number of children falling from loose windows
ASTANA – In connection with the increased cases of children falling from buildings because of windows that give way, doctors recommend changing the design of plastic windows to protect children, the press service of city’s administration reports. In July, young children fell almost every day – 11 children aged 1-4 years fell over 13 days.…
More than 200 children take part in train trip adventure across country
ASTANA – More than 200 children enjoyed a train tour around the country July 2-11. The project was initiated by Fund of Social Projects supported by Kazakhstan Temir Zholy (KTZ), Samruk Kazyna Trust and a Kazakh radio station. The unusual excursions and new discoveries were scheduled in the cities of Astana, Ekibastuz, Almaty and Baikonur.…
New traffic enforcement laws approved
ASTANA – President Nursultan Nazarbayev recently signed the Law On Amendments and Additions to Some Legislative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Road Traffic, according to the press service of Akorda. Amendments seek to curb corruption, particularly p the cost for good-looking car numbers will rise next year. The duties of the police officers…
Nazarbayev announces opening date for LEU bank in Kazakhstan
ASTANA – Kazakhstan President Nursultan Nazarbayev announced July 3 the opening date for low enriched uranium (LEU) bank in Kazakhstan will be Aug. 29. “August 29 marks the International Day against Nuclear Tests designated by the United Nations and we planned to hold the 60th anniversary session of the Pugwash movement of scientists aimed at…
Minister proposes extending Astana’s open skies regime
ASTANA – Kazakh Minister for Investments and Development Zhenis Kassymbek has proposed extending the open skies regime to next year to attract more foreign tourists to the capital. “The open skies regime has been launched in Astana for the period of EXPO 2017; all restrictions on flights of foreign carriers have been lifted up to…
Wind generator production plant to be built in Aktobe
The Aktobe region Akimat and United Energy Aktobe have agreed to build a wind generator production plant in the region’s industrial zone. Aktobe Akim (Governor) Berdybek Saparbayev and enterprise director Mikhail Pauls inked the corresponding memorandum. The project, with a cost of 84 million euros (US$95.3 million), is expected to create 500 jobs. The plant…
National companies of Kazakhstan boost their net profit 2.7 times
ASTANA – Kazakh national companies’ net profits increased 2.7 times in first quarter 2017 over first quarter 2016, reaching 131.6 billion tenge (US$407.8 million). A combination of increased income and the first reduction in expenses in five years accounted for the growth. Over first three months, the aggregate amount of expenses incurred by national companies…
Kazakhstan devotes record funding to attract foreign investment
ASTANA – The government has allocated a record 12.2 billion tenge (US$37.8 million) to attract foreign investment in 2017, reports Finprom.kz. The financing will develop industrial zones and parks as well as the infrastructure of special economic zones (SEZ) in the Almaty, Astana, Mangistau and Pavlodar regions. It will also be used for support services.…
Kazakhstan has huge tourism potential, says UNWTO Secretary General
ASTANA – World Tourism Organisation (UNWTO) Secretary-General Taleb Rifai said during the June 26-27 “Tourism and Future Energy: Unlocking low-carbon growth opportunities” conference in Astana that Kazakhstan has great tourism potential and needs to be branded globally. According to him, Kazakhstan is full of mysteries and discoveries, as well as landscapes, history of traditions and…
