Kazakhstan businessmen suggesting to create SMB-controlling state authority

Kazakhstan businessmen are suggesting to create a state authority that would regulate activities of small and middle-sized businesses (SMB). This suggestion was made by Vice-President of Kazakhstan Independent Businessmen Association Timur Nazkhanov, Tengrinews.kz reports. “This new authority should be directly accountable to the President directly. There are simiar bodies in the US, South Korea, India and Japan where they have agencies for small and middle-sized business,” Nazkhanov said. According to Nazkhanov, the government of South Korea had to refocus to development of small business when large businesses went bankrupt during the crisis (it also turned out that there were all corrupt). “We had almost the same situation during the crisis and now are trying to help the businesses, but the major part of the aid is given to middle-sized businesses rather than small ones,” Nazkhanov said. According to Nazkhanov, the share of small business in Kazakhstan is currently less than 10 percent. Only 3 percent of them are involved in the real sector, i.e. production. Creation of the special state authority should help develop small business. Experts say that this body should be given all the regulatory and control functions that are currently distributed among many ministries. Besides, it is proposed to create a separate commission in the Parliament and discuss problems of business development at the coming meeting of the Security Council. Otherwise, Kazakhstan’s small business is at risk of staying undeveloped.