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On June 27, Deputy Prime Minister-Minister of National Economy of Kazakhstan Nurlan Baybazarov signed a Framework Program Agreement between the Government of Kazakhstan and the Islamic Development Bank (IsDB). As reported by the Kazakh Ministry of National Economy, the agreement consolidated previously reached agreements on attracting long-term investments to implement infrastructure projects concerning Kazakhstan’s water management and transport sectors this year. The Islamic Development Bank will allocate up to $2 billion towards the above. The Kazakh Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation has earmarked 16 projects for funding in 2024 including the construction and reconstruction of reservoirs, dams, irrigation canals, and associated infrastructures. The Ministry of Transport proposed four projects related to the reconstruction and construction of 500km of major highways.
On 25 June, Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Serik Zhumangarin and Chairman of the Board of National Company Kazakh Invest Yerzhan Yelekeyev met the leadership of CITIC Construction in China, to discuss the construction of a plant for deep processing of grain. As reported by Kazakh Invest, CITIC Construction is one of China's leading construction and engineering companies, with a turnover of $2.5 billion. In 2023, the company implemented a similar project in Belarus. In Kazakhstan, the Chinese company plans to implement the project, primarily located in the Almaty region and with the creation of 2,000 jobs, in several phases. With a total capacity to process up to 1 million tons of wheat per year, the plant will produce fructose syrup, crystalline fructose, allulose, crystalline dextrose, sodium gluconate, gluten, and feed. It is anticipated that the cost of the build will exceed $1 billion. "We are ready to provide comprehensive support for the implementation of the project,” stated Yelekeyev. “Deep processing of grain is one of the priorities and promising areas in the strategic development of the economy of Kazakhstan. Our country is one of the largest wheat producers in the world and is ready to contribute to ensuring food security in the region, as the area of land for crops cultivation and livestock grazing exceeds 200 million hectares.”
At a meeting on sustainable employment on June 25, Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov tasked his government to create employment for around a million citizens this year. Referencing the initiative, Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population Svetlana Zhakupova reported that in 2024, the government plans to ensure employment for 948 thousand Kazakhstan citizens. To date, about 353 thousand people, including 148 thousand youths, have found work, representing 37% of the target. Since the beginning of the year, 137 thousand people have secured state-subsidized jobs. Over 97 thousand have found employment under the Head of State's initiative "100 new jobs for every 10 thousand people"; over 103 thousand have filled employers' vacancies, and some 16 thousand have been employed by national project programs. Prime Minister Bektenov announced that the concept behind "Development of the Labour Market of the Republic of Kazakhstan for 2024-2029" is to create a maximum number of permanent jobs, including those for young professionals. Today, up to 25 percent of graduates of technical and vocational educational institutions, work outside their professions. To address the issue, Bektenov stressed the importance of establishing interaction with employers through means such as digital monitoring of employment which tracks projects requiring new labour. In theory, the implementation of measures to ensure employment will create 3.8 million quality jobs by 2029. The meeting also addressed issues concerning the employment of Kazakhstan citizens abroad and the protection of their rights. Regarding the above, the Prime Minister warned, "We are aware of situations where their salaries were not paid, medical services were not provided, contracts were grossly violated. Work is therefore underway to conclude relevant intergovernmental agreements -and- to systematize the work of private agencies that employ our citizens abroad. Kazakh citizens should receive reliable guarantees under the contract."
On June 24, Minister of Tourism and Sports of Kazakhstan Ermek Marzhikpayev met Dmitry Pylev, TikTok’s representative and head of government relations in Central Asia, to discuss the joint success of TikTok and KazakhTourism's promotion of tourism in Kazakhstan via the popular online platform. As reported by the Ministry of Tourism and Sports, the parties focused on the large-scale initiative #GuideAcrossKazakhstan including video guides to attractions, cultural sites, and gastronomic tourism throughout the country. Dmitry Pylev noted that #GuideAcrossKazakhstan, dedicated to domestic tourism, has become TikTok’s most popular segment in Kazakhstan, gathering over 4,000 videos and some 2.5 million users. This is not the first successful project implemented by TikTok in partnership with KazakhTourism. Last year’s launch of #TravelKazakhstan which provided professional guided tours around the country and opportunities for users to share videos of their favourite places, attracted almost 25 million views. Praising the initiatives, the ministry stated that they not only boosted the development of domestic tourism, but also had a significant impact on popularizing Kazakhstan’s cultural heritage internationally.
The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Kazakhstan and Kazakhstan’s National Welfare Fund Samruk-Kazyna JSC have signed a non-financial statement of intent on cooperation to support socially vulnerable young people in the regions of Kazakhstan. According to a report issued by UNDP Kazakhstan, the agreement will also promote responsible business practices addressing potential human rights violation risks, and introduce principles of gender equality to overcome gender discrimination in companies associated with the Samruk-Kazyna Fund. Gibrat Auganov, Managing Director for Corporate Governance, Social and Labour Relations and Occupational Health and Safety of Samruk-Kazyna JSC, commented: "As part of our cooperation with the UNDP, we are launching an internship programme at our companies to support socially disadvantaged young people from the various regions of Kazakhstan. We are also planning a number of initiatives in the field of human resources and social policy - based on global standards of gender equality and human rights protection." Over 300 young people from the Mangystau and Kyzylorda regions are expected to complete internships at Samruk-Kazyna companies this year. The joint internship programme is a key component of the UNDP regional initiative "Strengthening Community Resilience to Prevent Violent Extremism in Central Asia," funded by the government of Japan. As part of the partnership, UNDP will also provide technical support to Samruk-Kazyna JSC to conduct a gender assessment of the holding's activities, develop an action plan and provide training on human rights due diligence and gender equality. "This partnership has three main objectives that reflect our shared desire to create a more just, responsible and inclusive future,” said Sukhrob Khojimatov, UNDP Deputy Representative in Kazakhstan. “Implementing human rights standards and gender equality strategies brings tangible economic benefits. This helps businesses attract and retain talented employees, encourages innovation, improves financial performance and enhances their reputation among consumers and investors.”
On June 20, Chairman of the Management Board of Kazakh Invest, Yerzhan Yelekeyev, and Vice President of JSC Aitas KZ, Rabiga Tokseitova met to discuss the Kazakh company’s plans for the "Almaty Poultry Farm Zhetysu". As reported by Kazakh Invest, the project costing more than $600 million, will have the capacity to process 240,000 tons of poultry, including 100,000 tons of sausages and delicacies, for distribution to local and foreign markets. To be constructed in the region of Almaty, from 2025-29, the enterprise will become the largest poultry farm in the CIS (the Commonwealth of Independent States, which unites post-Soviet republics) and provide 6,000 new jobs. The Aitas holding company is a leading producer of poultry, covering around 43% of the local market. Its assets include Makinskaya, Central Asia’s largest poultry farm, and Kazakhstan’s oldest poultry farm Ust-Kamenogorsk, with a total capacity of 150,000 tons per year. It also owns Almaty Breeding Poultry Farm Nauryz Agro, which as the largest in the CIS, provides 80 million hatching eggs per year for broiler chickens.
