Kazakhstan: News of the neighbor in a short line
"Kazakhstan through the eyes of foreign media". That was the name of the international competition, the results of which were summed up in Astana. It is held for the eighth time. This year, journalists from 40 countries submitted more than 70 applications. The jury selected the seven best entries. The winners were from America, Europe, Asia, Africa. They got the opportunity to visit the picturesque places of Kazakhstan and get acquainted with its sights.
If earlier the emphasis in the materials of foreign journalists was mainly on politics and economics, now the foreign press was also interested in the history of Kazakhstan and the country's tourism potential.
Five reasons to visit Kazakhstan. Experts believe that recreation in Kazakhstan will appeal to those who: are engaged in freelancing; travelers who love inexpensive educational trips; tourists who are tired of the monotony of a classic holiday; business travelers who combine leisure with business activities, as well as shopping travelers.
Kazakhstan will delight guests with skiing, active, pilgrimage and beach tourism. So everyone can find the type and form of recreation that he is interested in.
Another major airline launches flights to Kazakhstan. From September 7, 2023, the Chinese airline Loong Airlines will launch regular passenger flights between the two countries on the Hangzhou-Almaty route. Flights will be operated on A320 and A321 aircraft three times a week: on Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays.
Rapidly developing industrial power. Kazakhstan has signed more than $8 billion worth of contracts for complex energy projects. These include three hydrocarbon production contracts and a model hydrocarbon exploration contract. These projects are expected to attract thousands of workers and provide significant regulatory and fiscal preferences.
United by a single energy ring. Kazakh Energy Minister Almasadam Satkaliyev said that they are repairing the gas pipeline to ensure the necessary volume of Russian gas transit to Central Asia.
He also noted that in addition, “we are all connected by a single energy ring. We have mutual reservations and mutual supplies of electricity.” Plus, Kazakhstan will profit from the transportation of Russian gas through its territory.
Kazakhstan and Tajikistan are creating a joint venture for the supply of agricultural products. The railway administrations of the two countries plan to implement a joint process to increase the transport of agricultural goods. The project will contribute to ensuring food security, provide a warehouse and trading platform for all exporting agricultural producers and, in general, will give an additional impetus to strengthening trade and economic relations.
Trade turnover between Kazakhstan and Tajikistan in 2022 amounted to $1.4 billion. There is a steady growth in the volume of cargo transportation by rail.
Kazakhstan has increased grain transportation by rail to China. The transportation of grain from Kazakhstan to China from September 2022 to June of this year increased 4 times compared to the same indicator in 2021-2022 - up to 1.1 million tons.
78% of the total volume of grain (which is 844,000 tons) was sent in containers. Loading of milled products to China increased 3 times - up to 344,000 tons. Moreover, all this volume was transported in containers.
The country is ready to increase non-commodity exports to China by almost $1 billion. The list of goods is planned to be expanded to 135 items. Last year, trade between the two countries increased by a third.
China is in the top 5 countries-investors in the Kazakh economy. The total investment inflow over the past 17 years has exceeded $23 billion.
What about forecast? According to the forecast for the socio-economic development of Kazakhstan for 2024-2028, with an average oil price of $80 per barrel, GDP growth over five years will be 5.8%.
Nominal GDP will grow from 135 trillion tenge in 2024 to 218.5 trillion tenge in 2028. In general, growth is expected in all basic sectors of the economy. The volume of exports can be increased to 83.1 billion dollars in 2024 with an increase to 94.8 billion dollars in 2028. Imports will grow from 60.7 to 65.6 billion dollars.
Activation of measures for youth employment. Kazakhstan pays special attention to youth employment as part of the implementation of the message of the head of state to the people for 2022. Since the beginning of the year, more than 303.3 thousand young people have already been employed. As part of the initiative of the President of the country "100 jobs per 10 thousand inhabitants", 142.9 thousand people were employed.
To support the entrepreneurial ambitions of young people, the state issues microcredits with a preferential rate of 2.5% for up to 5 years. In 2023-2025, it is planned to provide 18.2 thousand microcredits for a total amount of 90.5 billion tenge.
To help the victims of nuclear tests. Kazakhstan is currently actively working on the creation of an International Trust Fund to support victims of nuclear tests. The republic intends to launch the fund together with the other 67 parties to the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
The purpose of the fund is to finance projects to help victims of nuclear tests and to restore the environment. Astana plans to launch the fund by 2025, in time for Kazakhstan's chairmanship of the third conference of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons.
The most sporting region of the Republic of Kazakhstan has been named. Kazakhstan can hardly be called a sports country, according to ranking.kz. According to the Ministry of Culture and Sports, only 38.5% (and this is 7.6 million people) are systematically engaged in physical training.
In the regional context, Shymkent can be considered the most athletic, where 42.1% of residents run, do push-ups, wrestle, go to fitness centers. The outsider by a wide margin is the Ulytau region, where only 32.1% of the inhabitants provide themselves with regular physical activity.
Over the next six years, the relevant department intends to bring the overall indicator of "sportiness" of Kazakhstanis to 50%. Sports officials have planned that every year the level of involvement in sports will grow by at least 2%. For this forecast to come true, at least 800 sports clubs and sections should be opened annually in the country, including at the expense of the budget.
The 2024 Women's World Boxing Championship will be held in Kazakhstan. The medalists will receive prize money, the total fund of which will be $4.8 million, of which $200,000 will be assigned to the gold medalist, $100,000 to second place, and each of the bronze medalists will receive $50,000.
It remains to wish the representatives of the already stronger sex to beat each other more weakly so as not to damage the beautiful features - a source of inspiration for Eastern poets.
Based on the materials of the Kazakh media
Bekdurdy AMANSARIEV
