GOVERNMENT: Kazakhstan supports exporters and takes measures for preserving employment of population
First Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Bakytzhan Sagintayev held a meeting where he charged the Ministry of Agriculture and the Ministry of Investment and Development jointly with the National Entrepreneurship Chamber to make a map priority projects in the sphere of processing of agricultural products.
At the CCS media briefing, Minister of Investment and Development Asset Issekeshev told about the measures taken for support of the sectors having difficulties because of the situation on internal markets. In particular, the Government took a set of measures aimed at support of the local car industry under the conditions of a significant reduction in production. Besides, it is planned to impose a ban on export of gold-bearing rock.
Kazakhstan is one of a few countries of the region where the volume of investments is still growing despite the negative influence of the world crisis. The Ministry of Investment and Development plans to sign an agreement with foreign investors totaling over 18 billion US dollars in March already. Besides, systematic legislative measures are taken for attraction of investments. Moreover, the talks with companies that expressed their willingness to participate in implementation of the projects of the second phase of industrialization are underway. There are about 100 such companies, and the total volume of investments will make about 40 billion US dollars. It is 20 investment agreements that are planned to be signed with Chinese companies only.
A. Issekeshev also noted that it was planned to launch 70 projects amounting to 600 billion US dollars within the Industrialization Map in 2015. According to him, 15% of the projects or more than 100 companies operating within the Industrialization Map began to export for one billion US dollars. This year, 35 billion tenge will be allocated for support of Kazakhstani exporters. Besides, the Government will adopt export program aimed at new markets, Central Asia, Caucasian countries, Iran in particular.
The Government pays great attention to development of small and medium-sized business. As Minister of National Economy Yerbolat Dossayev informed, over 60 billion tenge was allocated from the National Fund for building the infrastructure for small and medium-sized business entities. This is a part of the anti-crisis program as well. In total, 230442 entrepreneurs are embraced with the measures of state support within the state programs. Over 237 thousand jobs have been created. 13.3% of the entrepreneurs are embraced with the measures of financial support and 67% of them are engaged in the processing industry.
At the same time, the work on preserving the employment level in the country is held. Minister of Healthcare and Social Development of Kazakhstan Tamara Duissenova informed that complex plans on promotion of employment would be approved in all the region of the country by March 15. The first block of the plan provides for measures for involvement of people into infrastructural projects implemented within "Nurly Zhol" program. Meanwhile, the state sectoral programs will be corrected.
The members of the Government visited all the regions of the country, met with representatives of big companies, trade unions and regional governors and mayors of Astana and Almaty. Upon completion of the meetings, more than 19 thousand memorandums were signed. The memorandums provided for creation of over one million jobs.
Deputy Prime Minister Berdybek Saparbayev called heads of the companies to avoid mass staff reduction and reduction of salaries during the crisis emphasizing that each manager and director had to smartly approach this issue to prevent negative consequences.
On the instruction of the Head of State, specialists of the Ministry of Healthcare began development of the state program on development of healthcare for 2016-2020. One of its priority directions will be development of primary health care, ensuring availability and quality of the primary health care regardless of the place of residence patients. The state program also provides for development of the human capital based on improvement of the medical education, strengthening of the motivation for work in the system of the primary health care, etc.
During the teleconference meeting held by First Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan B. Sagintayev, the issues of construction of rental housing were discussed. 1357 apartments with the total floor area of 76.5 thousand sq meters in Astana, Almaty, Kokshetau, Semey, Kostanay will be commissioned this March already. Moreover, it is planned to build and purchase 8616 apartments with the total floor area of 505.3 thousand sq meters totaling 78.7 billion tenge are planned to be commissioned by the end of the year.