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.