No rest for the wicked

What vacations can one be talking about? There are difficulties with vacations also for big foreign (and not only) business structures. Today thousands of managers are still drawing results of the first half year. And in this scrupulous work the interests of state machinery and businessmen oddly coincide.

Because both parties want to look as much attractive as possible. Some - in front of the president and their own minister. Others - in front of shareholders and investors. Simple folks can only watch these calculations and accounts…

Surprisingly: various political and even military mechanisms that shook the world during the first six months of 2003, did not influence the Kazakhstani economy seriously. Two conclusions can be drawn from this fact.

The first one, - we are so deeply immersed into market reforms that now we should not be afraid of any foreign subjective factors. The second one - our economy (apart from hydrocarbon production, of course) is so much closed in itself, so little integrated into the world economy, that actually it does not care about its tendencies.

Is the last variant good or bad? So far, it's not so scary. All because the majority of Kazakhstani economic areas are currently in a "teenage" condition. Not talking about the local securities market.

The privatisation of national industry carried out in the 90-s of the last century, divided not only our society, but the economy itself. Some areas have suddenly become "non-profile ones"; and a bankruptcy of enterprises has become a usual business.

On the other hand, some of these areas are reanimated today, - it appeared that clothing and servicing the population is also profitable. True, the state supports this process only by words…

Evaluating some economic results of the half year, we cannot avoid noting a desperate struggle of the so called "young reformers" for a revision of provisions in the already functioning contracts with foreign investors. You already know about the results of this struggle. They are quite offensive for Kazakhstani oligarchs. And it may be understood, - they demanded conditions equal with those of foreign businessmen. Although, it should be admitted, that the home-grown "Duponts" and "Rothschilds" expressed it in a quite stupid manner.

The competition on the former post-Soviet market looks much more quiet. Of course, the so called "Chubais factor" continues to remain there. But in general, the territorial and economic reasons in CIS proved to be much more serious than political ambitions. And the economic penetration this year occurs already under the auspices of interstate institutions…

Speaking about brief results of the economic development of Kazakhstan during the first six months of 2003, it should be noted that the main one is invariant for several years already. It is the fact that despite the liberalisation of economy, the state continues to get hold of all levers managing the industrial areas, bringing profit.

The most obvious examples: the hydrocarbon business and finance and credit. All the rest, - just do whatever they can, - waiting for the manna from state programmes. The authorities prefer not to say loudly that this situation can bring about serious economic and political problems.

What a shame.