ALL WE CAN
TBY talks to Gabidulla Abdrakhimov, Mayor of Shymkent, on the economy sector.
What is your strategy to attract investors to Shymkent?
We are doing all we can. Building Shymkent City, which is a city within the city, will play a multifaceted role in the city's overall development, because to build something of this scale we need cement, concrete, plastic, wood, and so on. We have allocated more than 400ha for this project. It will be a modern residential and business district, with schools, kindergartens, polyclinics, and hospitals, for example. When I proposed this project, no one believed we could do it. Thankfully, the president and other government officers did, and we secured an initial investment of KZT30 billion. We opened a new "front office" so businessmen can get their documentation and tracking codes to follow up on the process online. It is warm and sunny here and construction is cheap because walls do not need to be as insulated as in Kazakhstan's other cities. Winter lasts only two months in Shymkent. Businessmen can build here and export to neighboring markets in Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, or Afghanistan. As the southernmost city, it is important for Shymkent to seize its potential as a gateway to the south for northern regions and vice versa.
ALL WE CAN
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Guest Speaker
Rt Hon Sir Alan Duncan, State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, United Kingdom
TBY talks to the Rt Hon Sir Alan Duncan MP, Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs of the United Kingdom, on the importance of Kazakhstan for the UK as a strategic partner in Central Asia and the variety of ventures that are improving economic cooperation between the two.
read articleInterview
Doris Bradbury, Director, American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Kazakhstan
TBY talks to Doris Bradbury, Executive Director of the American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) in Kazakhstan, on strategies for supporting growth, developing supportive structures for SMEs, and creating a more sustainable agriculture sector.
read articleInterview
Ermek Sakishev, Chairman , Investment Fund of Kazakhstan (IFK)
Ermek Sakishev began his career in 2005 at the Ministry of Economics and Budget Planning as a Lead Specialist. From 2005 to 2007 he worked at various private companies. From 2008 to 2011 he worked in the Administration of the President in various roles, from expert up to sector leader of the Social and Economic Monitoring Department. In 2011, he became the Director of the Innovative Policy Department of Samruk-Kazyna. From 2012 up to 2014 he occupied managerial positions within the private sector, becoming Deputy Chairman of the Board at Baiterek Development in 2015.
read articleReview: Banking
A Crowded, but Orderly House
Imprudent business practice during boom times, volatile commodity prices, and currency turmoil have sent lasting shivers through Kazakhstan's banking sector. Yet bold remedial moves from the authorities have brought relative recovery to a listing economy.
read articleInterview
Alina Aldambergen, Chairman of the Management Board , Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE)
TBY talks to Alina Aldambergen, Chairman of the Management Board of the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE), on the launch of commercial bonds, upgrading the image the exchange, and the strategy for achieving that.
read articleInterview
Davron Rustamkulo, Member of the Supervisory Board , RG Gold & Chief Investment Officer of Verny Capital
TBY talks to Davron Rustamkulov, Member of the Supervisory Board of RG Gold & Chief Investment Officer of Verny Capital, on RG Gold's goal of becoming a top mining player, future expansion plans, and the role of mining in Kazakhstan's development.
read articleFocus: Industrial Development
The Spiid Of Development
In 2014 Kazakhstan launched a five-year industrial development plan with the purpose of fostering growth of the industrial, mining, and manufacturing sectors. These areas, among others, were identified as being key to achieving the country's long-term vision of economic diversification.
read articleInterview
Aibat Akhmetalimov, Managing Director, Philip Morris Kazakhstan and Central Asia
TBY talks to Aibat Akhmetalimov, Managing Director of Philip Morris Kazakhstan and Central Asia, on introducing non-combustible products, remaining competitive in a health-conscious world, and the company's vision for a smoke-free future.
read articleFocus: ABU DHABI PLAZA
To The Steppes
A striking high-rise complex, funded and managed by UAE-based developers and constructors, will be launched in the heart of Astana in 2017, further contributing to the young capital's fascinating skyline and state-of-the-art architecture, as well as its growing status as an international hub.
read articleInterview
Arman Aldabergenov, General Director of Kazakhstan and Central Asia , Lactalis
TBY talks to Arman Aldabergenov, General Director of Kazakhstan and Central Asia of Lactalis, on the success of the company in the country, challenges in the agriculture sector, and expectations for 2017.
read articleFocus: Organic Growth
Soil & Grass
With vast natural pastures, Kazakhstan is extremely well positioned to become a major producer of organic agricultural products. As agriculture demonstrates increasing potential to become a driver of the economy, the government's new legislation on organic farming will boost the country's production and export of quality organic products.
read articleFocus: ECOTOURISM
So Good It Yurts
Kazakhstan is looking to make its mark as the region's main tourist destination. Out of the nine “stans," Kazakhstan is the largest and most topographically diverse, boasting miles of steppe, desert, and mountains, making it the perfect destination for an ecotourism industry.
read articleFocus: Mega Silk Way Mall
Mega Silk Way
A new iconic shopping mall incorporated in the state-of-the-art Expo architectural framework opens in 2017 and is set to be the symbol of the exhibition and of Kazakhstan's new flourishing retail industry, with positive effects on employment and the economy.
read articleReview: Doing Business
Sweet and Tenge Delight
Though Kazakhstan's macroeconomic outlook has suffered enormously in the past few years from the collapse in oil prices and currency devaluation, its political leadership strengthened long-term ties with the Russia, the West, and China and drastically increased the ease of doing business.
read articleReview: Accountancy
Precipitating A New Age of Oil & Gas Investment
Anthony Mahon, Partner of Caspian Energy and Resources Leader of Deloitte Kazakhstan, on the importance of creating a secure investment environment and updating the tax regime to attract investors to the extractive industry.
read article