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Ulba FA, the Kazakhstani-Chinese factory manufacturing fuel for nuclear power plants (NPPs), has become fully operational three years after its launch. According to Kazatomprom, the factory has produced 200 tons of low-enriched uranium in the form of fuel assemblies, which is enough to reload six nuclear reactors.

Ulba FA is the only nuclear fuel manufacturer in Central Asia. The project is a joint venture between the Ulba Metallurgical Plant (UMZ) and China General Nuclear Power Corporation.

The plant was launched in November 2021 and has been steadily increasing its production capacity according to its initial plan. The factory exports all...

Bank CenterCredit (BCC), Kazakhstan’s third-largest bank by assets, has temporarily suspended dollar transactions at its ATMs.

«BCC ATMs are temporarily unavailable for withdrawals, deposits and exchanges of U.S. dollars. We apologize for the inconvenience and appreciate your understanding,» the bank announced in a statement on its website.

The bank’s PR office stated that the suspension was due to ongoing technical upgrades aimed at enhancing ATM security. BCC plans to resume dollar operations by Jan. 15.

The bank had previously clarified recent changes to currency transaction rules for companies in Kazakhstan, which took effect on Jan...

The International IQ Registry, a popular platform for IQ testing, has released its annual report on average IQ ratings by country. Kazakhstan ranked 66th out of 127 nations, with an average score of 97.27 points.

The study is based on 2024 results scored by nearly 1.4 million users who completed the test on the website. The top five nations are China, Iran, South Korea, Japan and Singapore, with average IQ scores ranging from 105 to 107 points.

«The average IQ by country seems to be generally higher in East Asia; close to average in Europe...

In an interview with American podcaster Lex Fridman, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has revealed that back in 2022, just as Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine broke out, he had an interesting phone conversation with Belarussian President Alexander Lukashenko. During the call, Lukashenko apologized for missile strikes launched from his country and suggested Zelenskyy hit an oil refinery in Belarus.

«And he apologized. And he said that it was not me; missiles were launched from my territory, and Putin was the one launching them. These are his words. I have witnesses… I told him, ‘You are...

In 2024, nearly 10 million tons of Russian oil were transported through Kazakhstan to China, according to KazTransOil, Kazakhstan’s national oil transportation company.

«Between January and November 2024, KazTransOil JSC facilitated the transit of 9,126,000 tons of Russian oil through Kazakhstan to the People’s Republic of China (PRC). Under the oil transportation schedule approved by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Energy, KazTransOil JSC is set to deliver an additional 863,100 tons of Russian oil to the PRC in December 2024,» the company stated.

Under an agreement with Rosneft, Russia’s state-owned oil and gas company, KazTransOil is expected...

Canada intends to finalize a $1.6 billion deal with NexGen Energy, a company developing the Rook One uranium field. NexGen believes that acquiring the field will enable Canada to outperform Kazakhstan in uranium production within five years, The Financial Times reported.

As of the end of 2023, Kazakhstan remained the global leader in uranium production.

According to Lee Currier, CEO of NexGen Energy, this project is capable of making Canada the leader in uranium production once again.

He also revealed that a number of American energy companies are eager to acquire uranium from Rook One. The field is in...

Between January and November 2024, China imported 15,100 tons of wheat or maslin flour from Kazakhstan, valued at $3.4 million. This marks a 2.5-fold increase in volume and a 1.6-fold increase in value year-on-year, according to customs data.

In 2024, China became the largest buyer of Kazakhstani barley and the third-largest importer of its wheat. Overall, Kazakhstan exported 1.6 million tons of flour (-7%) for $448.4 million (-12.47%) between January and November. Afghanistan remained the top consumer of Kazakhstani flour, purchasing 1.1 million tons (-3.8%) for $288.7 million (-13.39%).

Uzbekistan imported 403,800 tons of flour (-17.9%) worth $128.5 million...

The Freedom Holding Corp. Kazakhstan Manufacturing PMI® (Purchasing Managers’ Index™) hit a fresh survey record for the second month running in December, rising to 53.9 from 53.5 in November. The index varies between 0 and 100, with a reading above 50 indicating an increase and below 50 a decrease.

Why is business activity in the manufacturing sector growing?

According to analysts, the record-high rate reflects record increases in new orders and manufacturing production. Staffing levels increased modestly, but sustained job creation has been recorded since March, with firms often highlighting the securing of workers on a full-time basis at the...

Human metapneumovirus (HMPV), whose spread is increasingly being reported by the media, has been detected in Kazakhstan, according to the Ministry of Healthcare. In response, the agency has issued a set of recommendations for Kazakhstanis on how to avoid contracting the virus.

«Human metapneumovirus is one of the classic viruses that has been roaming around different countries for decades. Variants of this virus have been detected in Kazakhstan alongside other infection types actively circulating during the seasonal incidence of flu and acute respiratory viral infections,» the agency said in a statement.

Kazakhstan’s Committee of Sanitary...

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev believes that officials responsible for economic affairs could have done more to promote the economic development of Kazakhstan. The country needs specialists familiar with the situation in each region of the country, he emphasized.

In an interview with the Kazakh newspaper Ana Tili, President Tokayev commented on economic challenges Kazakhstan faced in 2024, including the weakening of the national currency, which reached an exchange rate of 500 tenge against the U.S. dollar. The president emphasized that many countries had experienced currency depreciation well before November, while the tenge had managed to maintain its position for a long...

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump sought the perspective of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev on how the war in Ukraine could be resolved. In response, Tokayev expressed Kazakhstan’s support for initiating peace talks while underscoring that the country does not seek to act as a mediator. He shared these remarks in a recent interview with Ana Tili newspaper.

Tokayev described his phone conversation with Trump, held in early December 2024, as both insightful and frank.

«I can confidently say that he views Kazakhstan as an important strategic partner of the U.S. We agreed to maintain high-level political contacts...

In 2024, Kazakhstan successfully auctioned subsoil use rights for 19 mineral deposits, generating approximately $11.3 million in signature bonuses, according to the Ministry of Industry and Construction.

The ministry also announced that bidding for rights to 25 additional mineral fields was opened in November 2024. The auction will take place on Jan. 29, 2025, via E-qazyna.kz, the dedicated platform for subsoil users.

Last year, Kazakhstan adopted the Code for the Public Reporting of Exploration Results, Mineral Resources and Mineral Reserves (KAZRC), which aligns with international guidelines set by the Committee for Mineral Reserves International Reporting Standards (CRIRSCO).

To streamline formal...

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Healthcare reported that 63 people, including 20 children, sustained injuries caused by reckless use of fireworks during the New Year celebrations. Most of the injured were diagnosed with eye burns and hand injuries.

According to regional health authorities, 12 individuals, including five children, were hospitalized, while 51 others, 15 of whom are children, are receiving outpatient treatment.

«All the injured were diagnosed with eye traumas, corneal burns, as well as hand injuries and burns. One patient sustained a wound to the anterior abdominal wall and is in a stable condition with moderate severity...

The year 2024 has been a memorable one for Kazakhstanis, marked by significant devaluation of the tenge, major market deals, government reshuffles, budget challenges and the development of a new Tax Code. Kursiv.media highlights the key events in Kazakhstan’s economy over the past 12 months.

Sale of state assets to foreign investors

In October 2024, Qatar’s Lesha Bank officially acquired Kazakhstan’s Bereke Bank, closing a deal worth approximately $120 million after six months of negotiations. Previously, Bereke Bank was owned by the national holding company Baiterek, which had purchased the asset from Russia’s Sberbank in 2022 to shield it from...

The Minsk city court has sentenced prominent Belarusian stand-up comedian Slava Komissarenko to six years in a general-regime prison in absentia, following several counts and partial consolidation of the punishments. He was convicted on charges of defamation and insulting Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko, Belta.by reported.

Komissarenko was charged with three offenses: defamation of the president of Belarus, insulting the president and incitement to ethnic, racial, religious or other forms of social hatred.

In 2021, local authorities banned Komissarenko from performing in Belarus, prompting him to move to Russia. However, the ongoing prosecution forced him to leave Russia a year later.

On the night of Dec. 30 to Dec. 31, a unique astronomical event known as a “black moon” will be visible over Kazakhstan. During this phenomenon, the celestial body will be entirely casted by Earth’s shadow, according to scientists from Novosibirsk State University.

Alfiya Nesterenko, head of the astrophysical automated training complex in the physics department of Novosibirsk University, explained that the moon typically transitions through four phases within a month: new moon, first quarter, full moon and third quarter.

“December this year is different from last year in that the moon will, roughly, enter a...

According to data from the National Bank, the aggregated assets of the banking sector have risen by 20.4%, reaching $113 billion over the past 12 months.

Halyk Bank has remained the leader of the sector in terms of assets, with $33.1 billion (a 21.7% increase year-on-year), followed by Kaspi Bank ($14.8 billion, +24.7% YoY) and Bank CenterCredit ($12.5 billion, +33.4% YoY).

Overall, the sector reported a 15% increase (+$14.8 billion) in assets compared to the beginning of the year, with Halyk Bank (+$4.6 billion), BCC (+$2.5 billion) and Kaspi Bank (+$2 billion) leading the growth.

The only bank in Kazakhstan...

Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed a law establishing a mechanism to remove the Islamist group Taliban — previously designated as a terrorist organization by the Russian government — from the list of prohibited organizations. According to the Interfax news agency, the document has been published on Pravo.gov.ru, the official state legal database in Russia.

The legislative act implies that the court is allowed to terminate the prohibition based on the resolution by the general prosecutor as long as the organization has ceased all activities that might be related to propaganda and support of terrorism.  

Interfax also reported that...

According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport, flight recorders from the Embraer 190 aircraft that crashed near Aktau on Dec. 25 will be sent to Brazil for analysis.

«The decision is to send the flight recorders to the Aeronautical Accidents Investigation and Prevention Center (CENIPA) in Brazil, a country where Embraer aircraft are manufactured,» the agency said in a statement.

Additionally, the ministry emphasized that the country conducting the flight recorder analysis has been determined in accordance with the Convention on International Civil Aviation (also known as the Chicago Convention).

«Under the...

The Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market (ARDFM) has declined an application submitted by the Solva microfinance organization (MFO) to reorganize itself into a bank. Solva has been pursuing this status for several years.

According to the regulator, the company’s final beneficiaries, including Alexander Dunaev and Boris Batin, were denied the status of large stakeholders in the proposed bank.

Solva has been working on its transformation into a bank for the past few years. Madina Abylkassymova, chair of the ARDFM, stated that the regulator refused to accept the documents submitted by the MFO due to noncompliance...

Kazakhstan may face challenges replacing the KazSat-3 communications satellite by 2029, Senator Galiaskar Sarybaev warned. The satellite temporarily lost contact with ground stations a year ago due to battery pack failures. Sarybaev proposed increasing Kazakhstan’s stake in the Baiterek joint space project with Russia, responsible for launching the replacement satellite KazSat-3R.

«One of the key challenges is the delay in the Baiterek project due to the launch of environmentally friendly Soyuz-5 rockets,» Sarybaev stated during a Senate plenary session. «While the project has resumed and funds have been allocated from the state budget, the delivery deadline...

Freedom Holding Corp. has increased the capital of its subsidiary Freedom Bank by 20 billion tenge (approximately $38.66 million), according to a notification to the Kazakhstan Stock Exchange (KASE). The financial organization plans to allocate the funds for further development of its digital products and the Freedom ecosystem.

To raise necessary funds, Freedom Bank issued 3.4 million shares each priced at $11.41, which were acquired by the sole stakeholder of the organization. Thus, by expanding its own capital to roughly $375.07 million, Freedom Bank has been propelled from 11th to 9th place among 21 financial organizations based on its own...

Almaty will reintroduce the public bike share (PBS) system in 2025. According to Vecher.kz, the program will feature 2,000 electric bicycles available for rent in downtown Almaty.

The city administration plans to revive the PBS project, which was initially shut down in 2023, with the state municipal enterprise Almaty Parking as a contractor.

«After carefully examining the unique characteristics of our city, we’ve taken into account past mistakes; the system hadn’t been updated since 2016. Time marches on — while bikes used to be solely mechanical, they are now equipped with electric motors,» said Vladimir Ni...

The Almaty region may lack sufficient local funding to move forward with the construction of Alatau, a planned new city near Almaty, according to Senator Zhanbolat Zhorgenbayev.

Zhorgenbayev revealed that by the end of 2023, the Almaty region’s debt had reached approximately $32 million. As a result, several regional projects had to be delayed until 2024. Under these financial constraints, the construction of Alatau appears increasingly uncertain.

To address the shortfall, the senator proposed allocating additional funds from the national budget to support the Alatau development plan. Key priorities include building roads and infrastructure, constructing hospitals and schools and enhancing...