WEEKLY REVIEW: Kazakhstan reduces ministries and begins large-scale privatization of state property

ASTANA. KAZINFORM - Kazakhstan reorganized the Government, decreasing the number of ministries and redistributing their functions and powers. Government began to sale state property in the second wave of privatization.

Government was given a task to develop single software for business development and support. On Monday, August 4, Vice Minister of Finance Ruslan Dalenov said that 295 enterprises will be transferred to the competitive environment until the end of the year. 94 enterprises from this list have access to public procurement, under which they have received KZT 25 billion. The Vice Minister told that about 40 entities were offered for bidding during the second stage of privatization. On Tuesday, August 5, Deputy Chairman of the Fisheries Committee of the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources Khairbek Musabayev announced plans for the reconstruction of Atyrau and Ural-Atyrau sturgeon hatcheries. The program will require about KZT 70 billion. Reorientation of fisheries to commercial fish farming will remove pressure from natural populations of natural water bodies and provide social and economic multiplier effect. On Wednesday, August 6, an enlarged meeting of the Government with the participation of President Nursultan Nazarbayev took place. President announced the creation of a new structure of the Government of Kazakhstan, including 12 ministries and 30 committees. The President gave the Government a number of assignments, mainly related to the development of entrepreneurship. In particular, the President instructed to develop single program for the development and support of business, which must be approved by the year end. Government is also requested to submit proposals for the use in 2015 of KZT 500 billion allocated from the National Fund for the support of entrepreneurship. On Thursday, August 7, Chairman of the Board of the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of Kazakhstan Ablay Myrzakhmetov said at a briefing in the Central Communications Service that funds allocated under the first tranche of the National Fund of Kazakhstan to support small and medium enterprises will be disbursed before September 1. On Friday, August 8, Chairman of the Committee of the State Inspection in Agricultural Sector of the Ministry of Agriculture Saktash Khasenov has announced at a briefing on the issues of harvest that export potential of Kazakhstan in 2014-2015 marketing year is estimated at 9 million tons of grain.