Kazakhstan

The government of Kazakhstan has set an objective to substantially increase the contribution of SMEs and entrepreneurs to employment and value added in the economy. Although there are large numbers of SMEs and entrepreneurs in the country, achieving this growth will require a step change in the productivity of existing SMEs and the emergence of many more medium-sized and growth-oriented firms.This report shows the important achievements of the government in creating a clear vision and structures for SME and entrepreneurship policy, including major improvements in business regulations and through the introduction of the Business Road Map 2020 programme offering direct supports to SMEs and entrepreneurs in areas such as financing and infrastructure. It also highlights the current challenge of doing more to strengthen management capabilities, skills, and innovation in SMEs and new enterprises, and makes a range of specific recommendations for policy actions including further building the incubator and Entrepreneurship Support Centre infrastructure, introducing dedicated support for high-growth potential enterprises, and stimulating supply chain linkages around foreign director investors.

This report contains the 2018 Peer Review Report on the Exchange of Information on Request of Kazakhstan.

Civil service modernisation is a key priority in Kazakhstan. This report uses the OECD's Survey on Strategic Human Resource Management (HRM) in central governments to examine how Kazakhstan’s practices compare against OECD countries in several strategic areas. It explores how Kazakhstan is looking at skills and competencies throughout the employment cycle; how performance and pay systems contribute to improving public service quality, accessibility and responsiveness; and the role leaders and managers play in the reform implementation process. The report suggests areas for further improvement to help Kazakhstan develop a professional, strategic and innovative civil service.

More than 8 000 large multi-purpose water infrastructures (MPWIs) around the world contribute to economic development, as well as water, food and energy security, encompassing all human-made water systems including dams, dykes, reservoirs and associated irrigation canals and water supply networks. Focused on the specific case of the Shardara MPWI located in Low Syr-Darya Basin, South Kazakhstan and Kyzyl-Orda oblasts (provinces) of Kazakhstan, this report looks at the choice and design of MPWI investment strategies that ensure a high economic return on investments and potential bankability, based on application of a computer model and lessons learned from 15 international MPWI case studies.

This report assesses how Kazakhstan measures up in the development and application of its national health accounts, delivering a set of recommendations to improve the country’s health care financing information. As Kazakhstan has made significant economic progress over recent decades, health has risen on the policy agenda with a number of sector reforms introduced to modernise the system and improve the health of the population. Informing this agenda and monitoring progress towards health system goals requires accurate, timely and comprehensive information on health care financing and spending. A clear understanding of the resource allocations and drivers in the health sector is a prerequisite to support health system performance in Kazakhstan.

Kazakhstan has made significant economic progress over recent decades. Health has risen on the policy agenda with a number of sector reforms introduced to modernise the system and improve the health of the population. This review uses globally recognised frameworks and indicators to evaluate Kazakhstan’s overall health system as well as its primary care and hospital sectors. Data provided by Kazakhstan is used to benchmark the various dimensions of performance with that of OECD countries. While the review points to notable successes, Kazakhstan continues to face challenges to improve the accessibility, equity, and efficiency of health services. To strengthen health system performance, the report points to key actions that Kazakhstan should consider prioritising in the coming years.

This review examines the reforms undertaken by the government of Kazakhstan in the area of public governance and evaluates their impact on the powers and responsibilities of subnational levels of government. It places particular emphasis on finding the right allocation of roles and responsibilities among different levels of government, and on using decentralisation as a means to increase self-reliance, civic participation, accountability, and enhanced capacity at the local level. The report also offers a number of recommendations for further strengthening the role of local executive bodies and democratising some aspects of local government.