Nazarbayev opened Industrial Forum in Astana

Nursultan Nazarbayev has opened the Industrial Forum in Astana. The Forum is dedicated to the progress in implementation of the State Program of Accelerated Industrial-Innovative Development, Tengrinews.kz reports. "All the oblasts and all the regions are showing their capacities and everything that has been done. Of course, this is pleasing the eye and it has become possible thanks to our concerted efforts in all areas of works, the work of all Kazakhstan citizens and the strive to set up new production and apply new technologies: we are now producing everything from cars to aircraft," President said opening the Forum. Nursultan Nazarbayev stressed the high-tech sectors. For example, the launch of satellites and non-traditional energy sources. The event will include a meeting in a format of a nation-wide teleconference with the country's regions, where Kazakhstan government will report to the President on the course of implementation of the State Program of Accelerated Industrial-Innovative Development as well as on the results of the first half of 2012. 6 new facilities will be put into operation and construction of 4 projects will be launched in an online mode. Besides, the forum will include the fair of locally made goods called Buy Kazakhstan-Made Goods. The fair will also exhibit the goods made at the facilities built as part of the Industrialization Map project in different industrial sectors (engineering, chemical, pharmaceutical, light, construction industries, agriculture, etc.). Around 250 companies will present 700 types of commodities (over 600 of them include the commodities of manufacturing industry, such as clothes, construction materials, household appliances, etc.). Long-term agreements and memorandums have been signed between national companies and local producers to develop Kazakhstan content. 48 documents worth 15 billion tenge ($102 million) are to be signed during the Forum. 443 new production facilities have been launched during 2.5 years of implementation of the State Program of Accelerated Industrial-Innovative Development (including 54 projects in the 1st half of 2012). These projects have helped transform the country's economic structure. The new industrialization has created conditions for growth of basic industrial sectors. In general, the Program's indicators, aimed at 5 years, are performed ahead of the schedule. For example, GVA in engineering has made 169.4 percent. The production volume has gone up from 300 billion ($2 billion) to 500 billion tenge ($3.4 billion). Production volume has tripled in the chemical sector. Export of high value-added products has doubled compared to 2010. GVA of the construction industry has exceeded 160 percent. According to the forecasts, the share of locally made construction materials will grow to 80 percent, also ahead of schedule. It is currently at 67 percent. Mining GVA went 49 percent up. Export of high-tech products has increased by 58 percent. Judging by the growth of the labor efficiency, industrialization has already made a positive effect on the national economy. Efficiency went 32 percent up in manufacturing industry (from $38.6 thousand per person in 2008 to $51 thousand in 2011). Over 300 innovative projects have received state support. Around 100 tools of entrepreneurship support have been developed. 1,500 companies have became the participants of the program of non-energy export support. The volume of export of manufactured goods has exceeded $22 billion. According to the preliminary information, all companies that are part of the Industrialization Map project taken together have produced the commodities worth 300 billion tenge ($2 billion) in the last 6 months.