Industry works, statistics count

There are some negative phenomena and recessions, but they are not significant.

Industry - basis of economy

And this basis was developing quite stably, there was even some growth. Today the share of industrial production in the GNP structure is 31%. The annual growth for the last 5 years was around 12%. The average volume of industrial production for January-February, 2005, in comparison with 2004 grew by 8%. The mining and extracting industry are leading. The biggest percentage of investments into the authorised capital stock was made exactly into these industries. There was a big growth of industrial production in January-February in West Kazakhstan region. On the contrary, in Karaganda region the growth has become negative. The smallest growth was in the Southern capital - 4%.

Other industries as well got an opportunity of developing due to this growth of main industries. It is production of plastic bags and sacks, rough wood, and wooden sleepers. Main tendencies in the agricultural production are sugar, butter and tobacco production. Statistics explain the latter fact by the construction of a new tobacco complex. Zaghira Karimova, director of production statistics department, Statistic Agency of RK, says the following: "It is good to notice that the stable development of some industries gave a possibility to other industries to develop as well." Among the latter there are mechanical engineering, production of non-metal and mineral goods, chemical production, leather shoe production, production of yarn and cotton wool.

Kali Abdiyev, chairman of the Statistic Agency of RK, observed summing up the industrial development of Kazakhstan: "If previously we were after ourselves on GNP growth, now there is a real growth. If the industrial-innovative programme is implemented, after a few years we will have a well-structured economy. We should use good results of other industries and forward money for the development of backward industries."

Agriculture

The industry is all right, but the agriculture is lagging behind. Its problems worry the republic's statistics more and more. Official talks on the accession of Kazakhstan to the WTO are due in 2006. "If donations for the next 3 years are cancelled, the agricultural producers won't be able to survive. We should work very seriously on this. Our agricultural workers must be prepared for work in conditions of open competition," - Kali Abdiyev, chairman of the Statistic Agency of RK, believes.

Inflation

"In March we expect that the speed of inflation will fall 0.1%. Prices for eggs and petrol will fall. In February there was the biggest fall of prices for petrol - by 10% against December 2004. In general we see that the fall of inflation has topped in the last 3-4 years at the level of 6.5-6.9%. The same situation is likely to occur this year," - Kali Abdiyev, chairman of the Statistic Agency of RK, stated.

The biggest growth of prices for consumer goods was in December 2004. After that the prices started to fall, but insignificantly. If in December the inflation stopped at the level of 6.7%, in January it's fallen to 0.8% and in February it grew again to 1.3%. The growth of prices for groceries can be included among seasonal changes. The price for eggs has fallen the lowest.

Incomes

Last January our population lost 7 thousand in comparison with last December. The incomes stopped at the level of 28 thousand tenge. Although it can be stated that the real monetary growth grew by 8% anyway. The average consumption costs of one family equal 9 thousand tenge per month. The highest consumer incomes are in Astana and ALmaty.

CIS

Socioeconomic achievements of Kazakhstan are very positive in comparison to other CIS member states. Our country has the highest investments into the authorised capital stock, 61%. Kazakhstan is followed by Belarus with its 33%. The industrial production growth has stopped at 9%, which is a medium showing for the CIS, consumer prices grew 0.8% - it is one of the lowest rates among the post-Soviet countries. We've got also the lowest unemployment, 1.5 per cent - on the same scale as Azerbaijan.

Among the nearest plans of the Statistic Agency of RK there is development of a new statistic area - development of communications and internet. National statisticians will study this area already this year.