Astana Hosts Panel Session “Economics of Investments: Partnership between Business and Government” as Part of the 16th Eurasian KAZENERGY Forum

Astana, October 2, 2025 – Within the framework of Kazakhstan Energy Week-2025 and the 16th Eurasian KAZENERGY Forum, a panel session titled “Economics of Investments: Partnership Between Business and Government” was held.

The discussion was attended by Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan Alibek Kuantyrov, Chairman of KAZENERGY and the Board of the Investors Association of Kazakhstan Bolat Akchulakov, Chairman of the Management Board of the Investors Association of Kazakhstan Rustam Zhursunov, as well as representatives of international consulting and business structures, including Boston Consulting Group and the “Uchet” Group of Companies.

The discussion focused on the implementation of the President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s instructions on protecting investors’ rights, economic liberalization, reducing administrative barriers, and digitalizing the investment sector. Participants paid particular attention to the role of business in shaping a predictable investment climate and effective tools for partnership with the state.

Deputy Minister Kuantyrov noted that Kazakhstan is focused on a qualitative transformation of its investment policy: “Today, the key task is to move away from raw material dependence and ensure growth through new points of added value. In traditional sectors such as coal and oil & gas, we see potential for a 10-20-fold increase through deep processing and the production of high value-added products. At the same time, we are actively introducing digital and AI-based solutions, which improve the efficiency and transparency of the investment process. For this purpose, the National Digital Investment Platform has been launched, with more than 1,000 projects uploaded. Its ‘Implementation’ module provides functions for monitoring, performance rating, as well as a ‘Prosecutor’s Filter’ to protect investors.”

He also emphasized that in conditions of global competition for capital, Kazakhstan places particular focus on non-resource sectors – manufacturing, green energy, agriculture, metallurgy, and critical minerals, which are becoming new drivers of growth: “Possessing an extensive resource base and favorable geographical location, Kazakhstan must realize the potential of its petrochemical industry. Nearly 90 million tons of oil and over 30 billion cubic meters of associated gas are produced annually in the country – a powerful raw material base for deep processing. Processed products are more than ten times more valuable than crude oil, with a product range that can exceed 10,000 items – from fuels to high-tech polymers. Today, less than 20% of the extracted oil is processed, and our goal is to change this situation together with investors and business, making petrochemicals a driver of the economy with potential exceeding 80 billion US dollars.”

Participants of the session noted that Kazakhstan demonstrates strong commitment to improving the investment climate and creating favorable conditions for business. It was emphasized that ongoing reforms in economic liberalization, procedural transparency, and digitalization open new opportunities for partnership and make the country one of the most attractive destinations for long-term investments in the region.

The KAZENERGY Forum has traditionally become a key platform for dialogue between government, business, and international organizations. The sessions presented development prospects for the energy sector and related industries, as well as new initiatives for deepening cooperation in the context of the global transformation of the world economy.