New project addressed to protect investment and businesses in Aktobe
Despite the fact that there are a number of state organisations which are responsible for helping investors in Kazakhstan, since this year, in order to simplify the process of investing in the economy of the country, as well as to prevent bureaucratic procedures and corruption facts, the project "Protecting business and investments", initiated by the Agency, is being implemented in the Aktobe region.
The draft is aimed at maximally specific practical work for each business project through "anti-corruption support". The key factor of the project is the constant support of the Department of the Agency for Civil Service and Anti-Corruption Affairs in Aktobe region and the Department of the National Anti-Corruption Bureau in the Aktobe region of investor activities, which will allow them to conduct business without hindrance. So we are going to accompany investors` projects in Aktobe from the beginning to the finish. Our main target is to reduce bureaucracy, give those legal assistance, consultation and eliminate any risks of corruption. In addition to the territorial departments of the Agency, the project is also supported by Akimat (administration) of Aktobe region and the regional chamber of entrepreneurs "Atameken", which has been supported by a quadrilateral memorandum on interaction.
The only condition for investors is a one hundred percent rejection of corruption components in the investment project and zero tolerance for corruption. If the investors do face an attempt at extortion, according to their obligations, they must show zero tolerance - not to give bribes and report the incident to the anti-corruption department. Investors and businessmen can report 24/7 to the hotline (8 702 9095522) about corruption actions by officials, administrative barriers and bureaucratic procedures created by state bodies in dealing with them, as well as facts of illegal interference in their activities. For this purpose, the front office of the project operates on the basis of Aktobe Branch of Kazakhinvest JSC, located at: 22K Sankibai Batyr Avenue, the main task of which is anti-corruption support directly in the region.
Since the beginning of the project, 15 representatives of the business community have addressed the regional front office, 9 requests of which were promptly reviewed and solved, the rest are under review. For example, LLP "Mebel-Aksu" was assisted in resolving the issue of attracting foreign labor for two people in 2018. In relation to LLP "Green Capital Kazakhstan" the delay in signing the expertise for the construction of the greenhouse complex was solved. To date, 18 projects with foreign and local investors for the amount of KZT 306,8 billion have been covered by anti-corruption support in the Aktyubinsk region.
To achieve the Project's goal, we face a number of tasks on legal protection and anti-corruption support of business, increasing anti-corruption literacy, public control, and implementing advanced preventive mechanisms to combat corruption, and optimizing business processes and regulatory impact. We will continue to work to prevent corruption, proactively protect the rights and interests of investors and, in general, the whole business. As the President Nursultan Nazarbaev said, "We must show them that all conditions for investors are created in Kazakhstan." After all, the effectiveness of investment decisions to a certain extent is based on the effectiveness of the implemented anti-corruption policy, which, thanks to the political will of the Head of State, has received a new vector of development.
Article by Rassul Medetov, Head of the Department of the Civil Service Affairs and Anti-Corruption Agency of Aktobe region