Micro-credit recipients created more than 8 thousand jobs under Enbek program — Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population

At the Government session chaired by the Prime Minister Askar Mamin, the interim results of the Bastau Business project were summed up. This project is aimed at teaching the basics of entrepreneurship and was launched in 2017 as part of the implementation of the Program for the Development of Productive Employment and Mass Entrepreneurship.

Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population Birzhan Nurymbetov noted that one of the main directions of the Enbek state program is the support of entrepreneurial initiatives in order to provide social support to the unemployed.

The program provides the following tools for the development of entrepreneurship among the unemployed and self-employed, including youth and people with disabilities:

  • training in the basics of entrepreneurship through the Bastau Business project;
  • provision of microcredits at a low interest rate;
  • credit insurance;
  • mechanisms for the provision of free state grants for participation in new activities.

Priority rights for loans are granted to citizens who have been trained under the Bastau Business project.

“This year, the Bastau Business project is planned to reach 75 thousand people. To date, 33 thousand people have been enrolled in training. Including in the framework of the Year of Youth, 20 thousand young citizens were trained under the project ‘Zhas Kasіpker.’ Among the 27 thousand citizens who defended their projects, 8.1 thousand people received grants and loans,” Nurymbetov informed.

During 2017-2019 within the framework of the Enbek Program, 176 billion tenge were allocated from the republican budget for lending, about 31 thousand loans were issued to citizens.

The volume of financing for lending this year has doubled compared to 2017 and amounted to about 83 billion tenge. To date, 52.3% have been disbursed.

Over the past three years, the Plan for providing loans to the rural population has increased 5 times. Loans issued under the Program are available to rural residents. The average amount of loans in rural areas is about 4 million tenge. 52% of loans — this is the amount up to 3 million, 45% — from 3 million to 10 million tenge. The average amount of loans in cities is 11 million tenge.

“It is expected that this year more than 19 thousand people will be provided with loans, among them 16.7 thousand will be rural residents, 2.3 thousand — urban residents,” the minister said.

Loans were issued for the following purposes: startup projects (60%), business expansion (33%) and the development of anchor cooperatives (7%). It is noted that loan recipients have opened 8,384 new jobs.

By type of economic activity, 80% of loans in rural areas account for livestock, 9.6% for services, 6% for transport and communications. In cities, 30% of loans go to trade, 15% — to industry, 12% — to construction.

If we pay attention to the social status of borrowers, then 22% of them are unemployed, 74% are self-employed, 2.5% are people with disabilities, 1.5% are low-income families. Among them, 15% are young people, 34% are women.

Starting in 2018, state grants began to be issued under the Enbek Program. It is planned to reach 38 thousand people. To date, over 7.8 thousand grants have been issued.

The lending operator in rural areas and small towns is the Ministry of Agriculture, in cities and single-industry towns — the Ministry of National Economy.

Minister of Agriculture Saparkhan Omarov informed that 5.9 billion tenge were allocated for the implementation of the Bastau Business project in 2019. Including from the republican budget — 2.7 billion tenge. To date, 33 thousand people have been trained, or 44% of the plan. The average amount of loans issued is 3.3 million tenge.

This year, 44.7 billion tenge was allocated from the republican budget for 12 thousand microloans. In July 2019, an additional 20 billion tenge was allocated for 5 thousand microloans.

As of Sep. 13, 2019, a total of 32.5 billion tenge was disbursed in the republic and 450 microloans were issued.

Chairman of the Board of the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs Atameken Ablay Myrzakhmetov, in turn, noted that the main result of the implementation of the Bastau Business project over three years is the launch of over 20 thousand new business projects. It is noteworthy that while at the start of the project there were only 80 classes for training future entrepreneurs, now there are already 252 of them in districts, single-industry towns, regional centers, and in Nur-Sultan and Almaty.

In just three years, loans totaling 35 billion tenge were issued. At the same time, products and services were issued for 50 billion tenge.

“An analysis of the launched projects shows that 1 tenge of support measures produces products and provides services at 1.8 tenge,” Myrzakhmetov said. In 2019, it is planned to open 15,000 business entities to loan recipients.

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