“The main barriers to doing business and tools for developing a quality business environment in Kazakhstan”.

As is known, all countries worldwide implement the UN Sustainable Development Goals to improve people's well-being and enhance the protection of our planet.

In this regard, the faculty of the HSEB Economics Department actively contributes to the achievement of SDG 1 «No Poverty» by implementing the Program and Policy for the Eradication of Poverty in all its manifestations within the University. As part of the activities during the implementation of this Program at the Department of Economics and HSEB on October 29, 2024, the team of the project AP19683020, “Study of new tools for the development of a business environment in the regions of Kazakhstan to improve the investment attractiveness and competitiveness of the country in the Eurasia region,” funded by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of Kazakhstan, organizes a round table. The scientific supervisor of the project is a Senior Lecturer in the Economics Department, PhD Dinara Rakhmatullayeva.

Representatives of business and scientists from the Institute of Economics and HSEB will actively participate in the roundtable and make their reports. During the discussion, participants will share their views on what tools are needed to eliminate the main barriers faced by small and medium-sized businesses in Kazakhstan and to develop a quality business environment in the country's regions. It is well known that SMEs account for about 40% of Kazakhstan's GDP and positively impact the country's industrialization and employment. For further development and support of SMEs and the formation of a quality business environment and attractive investment climate in the country, new tools for their assessment are needed.

In this regard, at the roundtable, the project's authors will share the project's achieved results to date. In particular, the authors will present for the first time the web portal “Doing Business Qazaqstan,” created within the framework of the project. This web portal will also present the Doing Business KZ Indices calculated for the regions of Kazakhstan. According to the authors, these indices may increase transparency and attractiveness of business and investment environment in Kazakhstan, increasing the profitability of their business for small and medium-sized enterprises.