Kazakhstan takes measures to improve positions in Doing Business
Kazakhstan is taking active measures to improve its positions in the Doing Business ranking, the Kazakh Ministry of Economic Development and Trade said on Saturday.
“The main focus of work to improve Kazakhstan’s position in the Doing Business ranking in the current year will be on enhancing the reform process on indicators of “International trade” and “Obtaining a building permit”, the ministry said.
Thus, under the work on “International trade” direction a register of public service, providing paperless customs declaration of goods crossing the customs border of the Customs Union was approved.
At the same time, work is ongoing on the analysis of procedures performed by public authorities when carrying out export and import operations. According to the results of this analysis the list of documents required for the implementation of foreign economic activity will be formed.
A single list of documents and requirements for obtaining licenses, permits and other requirements in the field of export-import operations was also prepared.
Vietnam shows interest in joining Customs Union
KAZINFORM Vietnam President Truong Tan Sang looks into an opportunity for Vietnam to join the Customs Union of Belarus, Russia and Kazakhstan. The Vietnamese leader made this statement at a press conference in Naryan-Mar, the Russian Federation, on 29 July, according to BelTA.
In his words, at the meetings with the Russian leadership there was discussed a possibility to expedite the negotiations to sign an agreement on free trade. “We have agreed to announce the start of negotiations on the free trade agreement at the APEC summit in Vladivostok in September 2012,” the Vietnamese President stated. “We hope that with a strong political will of the leadership of our countries as well as of our Belarusian and Kazakhstani friends and partners, we will be able to launch this process soon and complete it as an agreement on Vietnam’s accession to the Customs Union,” he added.
He expressed confidence that the agreement on Vietnam’s accession to the Customs Union would give a huge stimulus to mutual relations and trade.
KazAgroFinance purchased over 800 combine harvesters to support farmers
ASTANA. August 2. KazAgroFinance has entered in the agreements for over 800 harvesters by the harvesting campaign of this year. As it was before, the wide range of grain harvesting machinery by the manufacturers and suppliers fr om the near and far abroad, as well as the Kazakhstan machinery plants is introduced to the national agrarians. The national leasing company contemplates to purchase about 320 harvesters “Essil” from Kostanai “Agromashholding” JSC and over 300 units of the machinery from “Combine Factory “Rostselmash” LLC within the framework of the agreements made. Moreover, as of today KazAgroFinance entered into the agreements for purchase of 100 “Yenisey”, 85 John Deere, 13 CLAAS and 15 Case harvesters. At that, it should be noticed that the so-called “completeness” of these agreements depends on the availability of interest and demand for the machinery by the farmers and the agricultural entities of the republic. Today, there are over 500 applications for purchase of the grain harvesters under consideration at KazAgroFinance. Currently, about 400 of them have been approved by the Credit Committee of the Company.
KazTransGas increases volume of gas transportation in 1st half of year
The volume of gas transportation of KazMunaiGas subsidiary — KazTransGas (www.kaztransgas.kz)- through mains amounted to 56.4 billion cubic meters during the first half of 2012, compared to 54.3 billion cubic meters in the same period last year, the company said on Tuesday.
“Thus, the volume of transportation through the mains of Intergas Central Asia amounted to .1 billion cubic meters (50.8 billion cubic meters in the first half of 2011), of which the volume of international transit — 39.7 billion cubic meters, the volume of gas to domestic transportation — 5.5 billion cubic meters, the volume of transporting gas for export amounted to 5.9 billion cubic meters,” the company said.
The volume of transportation through the mains of Kazakhstan-China Asian Pipeline amounted to 5.3 billion cubic meters (3.5 billion cubic meters in the first half of 2011).
Rompetrol starts drilling first exploration well overseas
Rompetrol’s ‘Upstream’ division (E & P) (a Kazmunaigaz’s owned company) begins drilling the first exploration well on Focsani block in Romania, the Kazakh national oil company KMG said on Tuesday.
‘The company has had the rights to explore the block since 2005’, KMG said. ‘The KAZ 1 exploration well is located in the north-west of the block near the Fitioneshti settlement with a planned depth of 4200 metres. However, the company plans to implement a 2D-seismic survey (not less than 200 km) in the south-west section (Prunen structure) to further explore the potential of the block’.
According to the report, this action will open a new chapter in the history of the Kazakh oil and gas industry and that of the National Company KazMunayGas and Rompetrol Group.
Living wage in Kazakhstan hits 113 USD in July
Amount of a living wage hit 16,979 tenge (about $113) in Kazakhstan in July 2012, Kazakh Statistics Agency said on Wednesday.
“Amount of living wage in Kazakhstan, on average, per capita, calculated based on minimum norms of consumption of basic foodstuffs, decreased by 1.2 percent in July 2012, compared to the previous month,” the Agency said.
Compared to July 2011, living wage rate rose by 2.2 percent.
In the structure of living wage, share of costs for meat and fish hit 23 percent, milk, butter and fat products and eggs – 15.3 percent, fruit and vegetables – 12.1 percent, bread and cereal products – 7.4 percent, sugar, tea and spice – 2.2 percent.
Kazakhstan wins third gold at London Olympics
Kazakh athlete Maya Maneza won a gold medal in weightlifting in the weight to 63 kg. Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev has sent a telegram to the Kazakh athlete, congratulating her on her victory and establishing a new Olympic record in London, Kazakh Presidential press service reported.
“Congratulations on a brilliant and very convincing victory in the competition in weightlifting at the XXX Olympic Games in London. Winning a gold medal, you have once again proved to everyone that you are one of the best athletes in the world. With your skill, purposefulness and the will to win, you deserved great respect of opponents, admiration and support of millions of fans. I wish you further gladden Kazakhs with your vivid sports achievements,” the congratulatory telegram says. Maneza lifted 245 kg (100 135 kg) in sum in the clean and jerk combination, setting an Olympic record. This is the third gold medal of Kazakhstan at the London Olympics. Earlier, racing cyclist Alexander Vinokourov and weightlifter Zulfiya Chinshanlo won gold.
Kazakhstan: cooperazione con la Svizzera per migliorare la logistica di trasporto tra Europa e Asia
Astana, 27 LUG – KTZ, le ferrovie kazake, e 
(Svizzera) hanno firmato un accordo di cooperazione al fine di implementare diversi progetti nel settore dei trasporti per il miglioramento della logistica in Kazakistan.
(nella foto, da sinistra: Zhambul A. Akhmetov , Presidente di KTS e Hans Reinhard, CEO di InterRail Holding AG)
KazMunaiGas, MOL signs SPA for share sale in JSC Karpovskiy Severniy
KazMunaiGas Exploration Production JSC (“KMG EP”) concluded the Share Purchase Agreement with MOL Hungarian Oil and Gas Plc. (“MOL”) on sale of 49 percent of shares in Karpovskiy Severniy JSC, KMG reported on Thursday.
Karpovskiy Severniy JSC is a subsoil use right holder under the contract for exploration of oil, gas and condensate at Karpovskiy Severniy contract area in the Western Kazakhstan region.
As a result of this transaction KMG EP will form a joint venture with MOL to conduct further exploration activities on Karpovskiy Severniy exploration block.
According to the report, the 49 percent share in Karpovskiy Severniy JSC will be sold with premium to the initial purchase price and subject to price adjustment at closing.
“The transaction is subject to the consent of the Ministry of Oil and Gas in Kazakhstan, the waiver of state priority right and approval of the Kazakh and the EU antimonopoly bodies,” the report says.
Kazakhstan, Switzerland implement transit corridor project New Silk Road
Companies Kazakhstan Railways, InterRail Holding AG Switzerland and PTB Perse Forwarding Co Ltd will jointly implement the project of a new transit corridor New Silk Road with the use of advance information technology and IT-portal (“E-Train “), the press service of Kazakh companies said on Friday.
“It will be based on a memorandum of cooperation and collaboration that will be signed between the parties,” Kazakhstan Railways said.
The parties intend to jointly develop the routes West-East and East – West between Western Europe and Kazakhstan via Brest / Ozinki regular routes by connecting high-speed container trains East Wind and West Wind with the project Kazakhstan vector from Brest to Aktobe. As a result, the connection of traffic to / from China through the “hub” Aktobe is planned, as well as the development of transportation to the west of Kazakhstan and Central Asia to Western Europe via the national system of Kazakhstan.
