ASTANA, Kazakhstan, December 23. The Kazakh
Government has approved the unified Isker Aymak program to support
small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), Trend reports via the
government.
The initiative aims to foster entrepreneurship and stimulate
economic growth in rural areas and smaller towns.
During a Government meeting chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas
Bektenov, the Isker Aymak programme was thoroughly reviewed.
Officials emphasized its relevance in addressing the unique needs
of businesses, especially those located in rural and less urbanized
regions.
"The programme marks a shift from merely distributing subsidies
to a model that emphasizes shared regional responsibility. Our
objective goes beyond simply issuing loans; we seek to establish
sustainable production systems and drive tangible growth in
output," the Prime Minister explained.
The Ministry of Finance has been entrusted with securing the
necessary funding for the programme, which will also involve
co-financing from local budgets. Regional authorities have been
tasked with swiftly identifying priority sectors, tailored to the
specific needs of each district, to allocate first-level subsidies
covering 70% of the budget.
In discussing the initiative, Bektenov highlighted the critical
importance of providing SMEs with access to production
infrastructure and offering preferential rental options for
facilities. Additionally, he underscored the need for developing
region-specific support programmes to further enhance SME
growth.
Almaty city’s experience was cited as a successful example. This
year, 25.5 billion (more than $49 million) from the local budget
was allocated to SME development, stimulating priority sectors
beyond general state support measures. Among other effective
practices are the development of small industrial parks and
preferential loans of up to 6% per annum.
