Economic Development
Since 1992, when it started working in the country, USAID has helped Kazakhstan restructure a number of institutions and pieces of legislation key to the country’s transition to a market economy. These reforms included privatization and pension reform, as well as numerous other laws governing Kazakhstan’s economy. Since 2006, USAID’s economic growth programs have been co-funded by the Government of Kazakhstan under the bilateral Program for Economic Development, demonstrating the country’s continued interest in USAID’s expertise and support.
USAID helps Kazakhstan’s government with reforms measured by the World Bank Doing Business report, which evaluates 183 countries on the ease of doing business. In 2010, Kazakhstan was recognized as the top reformer in the world, moving up 15 points to 59th place. This was achieved by improving conditions for starting a business, obtaining construction permits, protecting investors, and trading across borders. All of these reforms were conducted with USAID’s assistance.
USAID’s assistance to government working groups, business associations, and line ministries has helped enhance investor protections, streamline processes for trade, and reduce the number of permits required to open, operate, and liquidate a business. Such reforms are estimated to save Kazakhstan’s businesses at least $530 million a year by removing excessive requirements on business operations.
USAID helps Kazakhstan improve policies related to cross-border trade, small- and medium-size enterprises, and financial sector stability. To help the country attract foreign investment, USAID introduced an accounting training program based on international standards for financial reporting. A regional customs training center was opened to serve as a World Customs Organization Regional Customs Training Center for Central Asia and the broader region. Programs also provided assistance to Kazakhstan’s banking regulator to exercise prudential regulation and safeguard against financial sector collapse.
Programs
Project Name | Duration | Overview | Partners | USAID Contact |
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Central Asian Energy Efficiency Support Program | 09/2011 - 09/2013 |
USAID’s Central Asian Energy Efficiency Support Program (CAEESP) aims to assist in reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) intensity and emissions by stimulating investment in energy efficiency technologies... |
ICF International | Sergey Yelkin |
Kazakhstan Wheat and Central Asian Food Security | 09/2012 - 09/2014 |
The goal of the project is to catalyze the process of adaptation in Kazakhstan’s wheat sector, while also opening a regional dialogue around the challenges of climate change to... |
United Nations Development Programme | Ashley King |
Macroeconomic Project | 08/2011 - 08/2013 |
Through this project, USAID assists Turkmenistan in delivering economic technical assistance to government, NGO, and private sector beneficiaries to help diversify Turkmenistan’s... |
Deloitte Consulting, LLP | Serdar Yagmurov |
Regional Community Connections Project | 09/2012 - 09/2015 |
Community Connections Project is a cultural and professional exchange visitor program whose broad public... |
World Learning | Rabiga Baytokova |
Regional Economic Cooperation Project | 10/2011 - 09/2013 |
The project includes beneficiaries from Afghanistan and performs the following trade facilitation activities: |
Chemonics International | Svetlana Golovatskaya |
Regional Energy Security, Efficiency and Trade (RESET) | 11/2010 - 11/2013 |
To facilitate the development of a regional market for electricity, the program will help to:
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Tetra Tech, Inc. | Michael Trainor |
Ustyurt Landscape Conservation Initiative | 08/2010 - 09/2014 |
The project promotes the long-term sustainable management of the Ustyurt landscape, focusing on the critically endangered saiga antelope. The project works to: |
Flora and Fauna International | Ben Chapman in Kazakhstan and Alexander Kalashnikov in Uzbekistan |