Bakytzhan Sagintayev: Export-Oriented Approach Makes Pavlodar Oblast the Most Attractive

During the working visit to Pavlodar Oblast, the Prime Minister Bakytzhan Sagintayev met with members of the regional council of Atameken, Chamber of Entrepreneurs. The participants of the meeting in Pavlodar Friendship House discussed the problems of business. Eldar Zhumagaziev, the Deputy Chairman of the Board of Atameken Scientific and Production Enterprise, noted in his speech that 104 enterprises of manufacturing industry were certified in Pavlodar Oblast on the instructions of the Head of the Cabinet.

According to Eldar Zhumagaziev, the “TOP” problems for business are lack of financial resources, problems with sales and raw materials. The picture on exports in the region has not changed for many years. Aluminium of various rework is in the first place. – “Aluminium products are supplied to Greece, Turkey, Uzbekistan, Italy and Russia. But I would like to draw attention to those companies that have a great potential for import substitution and further export. In Altai Territory, the export potential of regional enterprises is about three million US dollars, in Omsk Oblast – more than 11 million and 10 million – in the Novosibirsk Oblast. We also compiled the top state support measures used by enterprises of Pavlodar Oblast. Subsidizing the interest rate for the EBC and 41 per cent helped subsidies to 41 per cent of the companies – cheap loans under Damu Ondiris program. In the future, we plan to shift the focus of state support discussed at the regional coordination councils to enterprises with the largest export potential. They need help in the first place,” – said Eldar Zhumagaziev.

The Prime Minister supported the proposal of the Deputy Chairman of Atameken. “The region has the opportunity to export not only manufacturing products but also in agriculture, for example, to China and Iran. Enterprises should show that they are export-oriented. Export orientation makes Pavlodar Oblast the most attractive,” – said Bakytzhan Sagintayev. The Head of the office of the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, Agris Preymanis, also spoke with the report, who noted that in the development of small and medium-sized businesses it is worth paying attention to digitalization. – “The EBRD works today with small and medium-sized companies in Pavlodar Oblast,” – Agris Pleymanis specified. – “Development of skills through Damu Fund, the Council of Foreign Investors should remain key. Because when we talk about import substitution, then, of course, subsidizing is important. However, it is necessary to ask the question how much the quality of what we produce corresponds to foreign requirements. Here it is just important to continue the existing policy, attracting foreign investors.” The meeting also raised the problems of the railway cluster. Artur Khachaturyan, the General Director of Railways Systems KZ, LLP, asked to understand the difficult situation with the debt of NC KTZh, JSC for delivering switch production to Ekibastuz Prommashkomplekt. According to him, this is what prevents him from opening a shop for the production of wheels for railway transport in Ekibastuz in December. The Prime minister promised him to sort out the situation.

 

Concluding the meeting, the Head of Government summarized his working trip to Irtysh Land. “Today I travelled all day around the expanses of the region, I was happy with the successes; I saw and heard many interesting things. We were at the college of non-ferrous metallurgy, held a meeting with students, and invited all directors of colleges and universities, talked about training. They all talk about the latest laboratories and equipment. They showed examples of digitalization in education and healthcare, as well as effective use of energy surplus for mining. Today, we need to create new models of economic growth” – said Bakytzhan Sagintayev.