Issekeshev worked out new approach to forming the Roadmap program

Kazakhstan Minister of Industry and New Technologies Asset Issekeshev told President Nursultan Nazarbayev about a new approach to forming the Roadmap program at the Industrial Forum in Astana, Tengrinews.kz reports. “In 2009 you instructed us to develop and adopt the industrial program. Time has confirmed the correctness of your strategic choice. Currently all leading countries are seriously discussing industrialization and working out strategies. Dear Nursultan Nazarbayev, considering your critics on the projects quality, we have worked out new approaches to forming the Map. The role of the regions in the industrial-innovative development was increased. Akims (Mayors) are now responsible for the main block of the projects; there are 667 of them. Akims have been transferred the necessary authority to support the projects: special deputy Akims have been appointed, investors service centers have been opened and a wide range of state support tools has been made available, including support via the Business Roadmap, Efficiency-2020 and long-term (state procurement) orders,” Issekeshev said. Minister also told that the government would focus on the strategic projects and would complete development of the industrial framework: major infrastructure and industrial projects and the projects with final goods aimed for export. “There are 39 such projects. This is 6 percent of the total number of projects, but the investments into these projects make 70 percent of the total investments of the Map ($52 billion). In addition to the state Map a list of promising projects has been formed: 20 projects worth $29 billion. That makes the total of 59 projects: 10 projects in energy, 12 in transport and logistics, 10 in metallurgy, 17 in chemical industry, 4 in tourism, 5 in engineering and IT and 1 project in pharmaceutics,” he explained. According to the Minister, the launch of all these projects will boost the GDP by at least 7 percent by around 2020. “Implementation of this large-scale program requires solving the issues of its financial support. This requires radical changes in the existing financial system that will allow involvement of commercial banks, pension funds and private investors into the industrialization. We need to amend the laws, perform a huge organizational work on implementation of the projects financing and activation of state-private partnership. Besides, it is necessary to review the role and mechanisms of development institutes,” Asset Issekeshev said. “Generally speaking, the institutional framework of accelerated industrialization has been formed in 2.5 years: amendments have been made in over 50 laws, 23 (all) industrial and functional programs have beeb approved. Over 100 measures of state support to entrepreneurs are being implemented. During this period of time over 3,000 Kazakhstan companies have already used them. The analysis shows that almost 90 percent of the 114 indexes of the program are in line with the approved plans. However, there is a risk of underperformance in 10 indexes. Additional measures will be taken and the works will be enhanced in the areas of these indexes. Certain results have been achieved in 2.5 years. The growth of the manufacturing industry in 2011 turned out to be 5 times higher than that in the mining industry,” Minister of Industry and New Technologies summed up. Earlier Tengrinews.kz English reported that 48 memorandums worth over 15 billion tenge ($102 million) were signed at the Industrial Forum on July 3 in Astana. By Nazymgul Kumyspayeva