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Kazakhstan to encourage investments in regions

Kazakhstan intends to intensify the work on attracting investments to the processing sector at the regional level

ASTANA, February 14 (Itar-Tass) —— Kazakhstan intends to intensify the work on attracting investments to the processing sector at the regional level, Minister of Industry and New Technologies of the republic Aset Isekeshev said at a meeting of the government on Tuesday.

According to him, the projects within the framework of the state program of accelerated industrial and innovational development have the priority. Isekeshev reminded that a national plan for attracting investments was adopted in the republic. “One hundred ninety memorandums and agreements were signed. The beginning of the year was marked by the signing of another big package of documents within the framework of President Nursultan Nazarbayev's visit to Germany,” the minister said.

He noted that “competitiveness in investments is becoming sharp considering the complex situation on the world financial markets, as well as on the regional level.” “Within the framework of the common economic space, our regions compete with the Russian ones in investments,” he stressed. In this connection, the minister considers it necessary to “create centers for servicing interests and begin serious work with investors in the regions.”

Besides, Isekeshev described special economic industrial zones as one of the instruments of attracting investments to the regions. “The law on special economic zones was adopted last year, all in all, we have nine effective special economic zones. The creation of another 11 zones in eight regions is planned,” he said.

Earlier, the head of the industrial department said that over nine months of 2011 over 15.6 billion dollars of investments were attracted to the republic’s economy, which is 12 percent more than over the same period in 2010. He noted that Germany, Austria, France, Russia, Korea, Japan and the United States will be the main investors for the republic in 2012.

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