Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Olzhas Bektenov held a meeting with international experts led by World Bank Regional Director for Central Asia Nadir Bensassi, as part of the tasks set by the Head of State on implementing a new investment cycle.

The discussion was attended by Chairman of the National Bank Timur Suleimenov, Advisor to the President – Chairman of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms Asset Irgaliyev, Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin, and others.

During the meeting, an exchange of views took place on strategic issues — the transition to a high-income economy, increasing productivity and efficiency of the economy, infrastructure development, digitalization and artificial intelligence, and modern financing instruments. These areas are directly linked to the task of forming a more competitive and technological model of economic growth. In turn, the reforms being carried out in various sectors complement efforts to increase investment.

Opening the meeting, Olzhas Bektenov noted that the Head of State pays priority attention to accelerating economic diversification and further improving the investment climate. With the adoption of the new Constitution, Kazakhstan is moving to a new stage of its development. Investment policy and attracting investments are among the key factors for sustainable economic growth, infrastructure modernization, technological renewal, and increased productivity.

“Countries’ competitiveness is increasingly determined by the quality of economic policy, the speed of institutional changes, and the ability to create a predictable and attractive business environment. On the instruction of the President, Kazakhstan is building a comprehensive architecture of interaction with investors — from strengthening the external contour to attract capital abroad to improving the efficiency of project support inside the country with enhanced protection of investors’ rights. All measures taken are aimed at increasing the income of Kazakhstan’s citizens and improving their quality of life,” Olzhas Bektenov emphasized.

The Prime Minister informed the World Bank representatives about the ecosystem created to attract investment to Kazakhstan. Among the new measures are the introduction of the “Golden Visa” regime to create conditions for investors and highly qualified specialists, and strengthening the role of the Coordination Council for the effective promotion of joint initiatives.

The meeting participants presented their expert views on the current situation and put forward a number of proposals to increase FDI inflows, taking into account global trends.

World Bank Regional Director for Central Asia Nadir Bensassi positively assessed the work on improving and modernizing economic processes in Kazakhstan. According to him, the country maintains stable investment attractiveness. At the same time, the transition to a high-income economy requires transforming the growth model and increasing investment efficiency. An important task in this process is increasing productivity.

According to World Bank Lead Economist Christos Kostopoulos, Kazakhstan demonstrates steady GDP growth rates comparable to a number of dynamically developing economies, which creates a foundation for moving to a new stage of development. He noted the importance of introducing innovations to increase labor productivity: using market mechanisms, companies need to be stimulated to actively apply modern technologies. This, in turn, leads to an overall increase in the country’s economic competitiveness.

World Bank Practice Manager for Transport in Europe and Central Asia Shomik Raj Mehndiratta focused on opportunities to increase the investment attractiveness of Kazakhstan’s transport infrastructure and voiced recommendations for further attracting FDI into airport, port, railway, road, and urban transport projects.

World Bank Digital Development Practice Manager Isabel Neto paid attention to the “Data Center Valley” project in Pavlodar Region, noting its importance for the region’s investment attractiveness. She also mentioned that there are many positive international examples, particularly in Brazil and Greece, which can serve as models for the development of digital infrastructure in Kazakhstan.

In addition, participants emphasized mechanisms for attracting private capital into projects important for the country. International Finance Corporation (IFC) Regional Manager for Central Asia Michael Opagi noted that PPP projects must be economically attractive for business. This will unlock the potential of private infrastructure investments.

The issues raised were commented on by the leadership of the National Bank, the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms, the Ministries of National Economy, Transport, Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development.

Chairman of the National Bank Timur Suleimenov noted the importance of ensuring macroeconomic stability as one of the key conditions for attracting long-term foreign investment, since for investors a predictable macroeconomic environment and reduced inflation risks are critical for ensuring sustainable returns. In this regard, attention should be paid to investments aimed at technology transfer, equipment modernization, and productivity growth, as well as effective coordination of fiscal and monetary policy.

On the development of public-private partnership, Advisor to the President – Chairman of the Agency for Strategic Planning and Reforms Asset Irgaliyev emphasized the importance of proper project structuring, studying domestic and international experience, including World Bank practices, and strengthening interaction in the PPP sphere. In his opinion, PPP instruments should be used to achieve strategic goals and create new infrastructure.

Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin noted that the Government is implementing a new proactive investment policy. In 2025, Kazakhstan attracted $20.5 billion in investments compared to $17.9 billion a year earlier. At the same time, as part of the transition to a new model of economic development, measures are being taken to increase labor productivity, introduce technologies, and develop human capital. Priority areas include coal chemistry, petrochemicals, chemical industry, metallurgy, agricultural processing, tourism, and pharmaceuticals. Work is also underway to attract leading global companies for joint projects.

Summing up the meeting, the Prime Minister thanked the participants for the substantive dialogue and constructive proposals. Responsible state bodies were instructed to incorporate the voiced recommendations into the action plan for the implementation of socio-economic reforms.

“The Government is always open to recommendations and proposals aimed at expanding our mutually beneficial partnership. Our meeting once again confirmed that in modern conditions, sustainable economic growth is impossible without the active participation of the private sector, a high-quality institutional environment, the development of competition, and the introduction of innovations. I am confident that the results of the current session will give new impetus to our joint work in all areas,” Olzhas Bektenov emphasized.

#Olzhas Bektenov #Economy #Finance #International Cooperation #Investments

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