“Business Road Map 2020” enters active phase of its fulfillment, Vice Premier

UST KAMENOGORSK. January 19. KAZINFORM. /Lyudmila Malko/ Ust Kamegorsk city was chosen as a venue of the republican meeting on realization of "Business Road Map 2020" for a reason. The east of the country accounts for large amounts of financing of the projects subsidized under the "2020 Business Road Map" up to KZT 18.5 bln (17 applications were approved for subsidy assistance).

The visiting republican conference on realization of the "2020 Business Road Map" chaired by Vice Premier Yerbol Orynbayev was over on the eve in Ust Kamenogorsk. Those attending: representatives of ministries and departments, oblast akimats, Damu Foundation, Association of Financiers, Kazakhstan Entrepreneurs' Forum, "Atameken Union" National Economic Chamber, banks and business communities shared practice, surveyed enterprises, presented their projects and debated the ways of the program fulfillment.

Delivering an opening address Vice Premier stated the "Business Road Map 2020" is one of the mechanisms of implementation of the Forced Industrial and Innovation Development Programme. The first year of its realization started last April was the pilot one. It set three guidelines such as support of new business initiatives, rehabilitation of business sector and assistance to export-oriented production lines. Program development and implementation is another model of fruitful cooperation of the state and business. 225 applications totaling more than KZT 100 bln were approved for funding the countrywide.

This year the 2020 Business Road Map enters an active phase of its implementation. The program is supplemented with a fourth direction - strengthening of business potential. It envisages measures to support first-time entrepreneurs, ongoing business, and training of top-management of small and medium business, rendering assistance to establish business contacts with foreign partners, staff training and retraining.

In an exclusive interview to Kazinform agency Vice Premier Yerbol Orynbayev noted that conferences like this have two points it their favor, first of all, people meet, have talks, share views. The receiving party, East Kazakhstan, featured the "Business Road Map 2020" projects in a unique exhibition. And another advantage is a competition; therefore, we met in Ust Kamenogorsk, which takes the lead.

Today's debate showed the problem point of the program is the problem of second-tier banks' lending of projects. There are 33 % of unrecoverable loans. As akim Berdybek Saparbayev said "banks are afraid of lending money". Do you think the world financial crisis manipulates the situation and makes banks exercise such caution so far?

Sure the crisis left its imprint. I'd like to highlight the Government of Kazakhstan completed this fall the 1^st restructuring of the strategic banks such as BTA and Alliance Bank. The said banks started providing business with loans. The second-tier banks accumulated more than USD 10 bln of liquidity. We help to direct the mentioned USD 10 bln to the priority sectors of the country's economy. We want these two banks to channel means to the manufacturing industry, agriculture and processing. We stimulate this process.

It is essential the amendments to the 2020 Business Road Map are to improve terms, criteria and mechanisms of its realization.