Kazakhstan National Chamber of Entrepreneurs Reports on Country’s Business Activity
By: Hazem Abdo
The Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs (NCE) presented the state of the nation’s business report to Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
Following Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s initiatives, a new 2023 Comprehensive Plan of Joint Actions to Protect Business was adopted to facilitate business operations and protect the rights of entrepreneurs in the criminal process. Atameken’s project was launched last year to support small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
The report presents entrepreneurship development indicators, results of the NCE, and measures to address business problems. Last year’s outcomes demonstrated that the project helped set up over five thousand new enterprises and over 40 thousand new projects and expand nearly 15 thousand businesses.
In 2021, labor productivity in SMEs increased by 20% and reached 8 million tenge per person.
In the regional context, in 2021, the largest contribution of SMEs to the gross regional product is noted in the cities of Astana (59% of GRP), Almaty (47.5%) and Shymkent (40.5%).
At the end of 2021, the share of SMEs in the GDP amounted to 33 percent. The main contribution was provided by small businesses, constituting a 27 percent share. From 2015 to 2020, the percentage of SMEs in the country’s GDP increased from 25 to 33 percent. The 2025 National Project for the Development of Entrepreneurship expects to increase the share by 35 percent.
Based on the results of state support measures, as of October 1, 2022, 5,200 new enterprises were opened, 47.7 thousand documents for SMEs were developed and prepared, 48.5 thousand projects were supported for 119.6 billion tenge, business was expanded 16.9 thousand entrepreneurs.
This year’s regulation reforms are expected to facilitate business operations and create an optimal and understandable regulatory environment as the implemented moratorium on SME inspections has been extended until the end of this year.
These measures of the government are aimed at further development of business support institutions in the country and are one of the priorities in the course designated by the Head of State – building a Just and Fair Kazakhstan.
Astanatimes
