Astana Akim briefs president on city’s progress

    By Zhazira Dyussembekova
    On May 16, Astana Akim Adilbek Dzhaksybekov briefed Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev on the capital city's socio-economic development, the implementation of key government programs and plans for the future, a news statement from Ak Orda says.
    “These figures are encouraging, as a result of the serious efforts of the state and of the city akimat first of all. This work should be continued. The capital must show an example in all directions. A lot is being done in the areas of (the development of) ‘smart city,’ alternative energy, heating supply, the improvement of streets and the construction of parking lots. The city is developing successfully and is already 'having its own means' (original - KNL),” Nazarbayev said, while adding that investment into the development of the city has been effective and is providing a return.
    Nazarbayev said that Astana is first in the country in terms of gross regional product, which totaled 4.56 trillion tenge (US $13.82 billion). The average income per capita in Astana was 3.7 million tenge (US $11,215) at the end of last year.
    In addition, investments into fixed assets also grew to 770 billion tenge (US $2.33 billion) at the end of last year. The number of small and medium-sized businesses has increased to 105,000 compared to 93,000 in 2014. '
    The share of this sector’s gross value added has reached 62 percent of the total city economy.
    Also this year, it is expected that 2.1 million square meters of new housing will be opened, while in 2014 the figure was about 1 million.
    Among social development indicators, the president pointed to the low level of unemployment and the existence of 6,000 unfilled jobs.
    He said 84.5 percent of children pre-school age are being educated in pre-school institutions and that the construction of kindergartens and schools continues. In 2015, the maternal mortality rate was seven per 100,000 newborns and in the first quarter of this year the figure is zero, the Astana Times reports.