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Kazakh parliament at a joint session of both houses passed in the second
and final reading the 2003 national budget, which contains a deficit of
82.8 billion tenge (154.2 tenge/$1), or 2% of GDP. Budget revenues were
approved at 631.6 billion tenge and spending, including lending, at 714.4
billion. GDP is expected at 4.142 trillion tenge, or 6% more than 2002.
Budget indicators rely on a world oil price (Brent) of $19 a barrel. The
export price of Kazakh oil is expected at $15.60 a barrel. In 2002, the
budget deficit was planned at 80.4 billion tenge, or 2.3% of GDP, revenues
at 525.4 billion tenge, and total spending including lending at 605.8 billion
tenge.
Kazakhstan's foreign trade surplus in January-October 2002 was $2.369
billion, 11.8% higher than in the same period last year. Kazakhstan's
foreign trade turnover was $12.975 billion, with exports at $7.672 billion
(up by 5%) and imports, including transportation and insurance costs,
at $5.303 billion (up by 2%). The share of the CIS countries in the overall
amount of Kazakh exports was 23.4% (30.3% in 2001), and imports was 45.7%
(53% in 2001). The principal importers of Kazakhstan's products were Bermuda
(19.9% of total exports), Russia (16%), China (10.7%), Italy (9.9%), Switzerland
(7.4%), the United Arab Emirates (5.4%), Ukraine and Iran (3.1% each),
Poland (2.8%), Germany (2.2%), Britain (1.5%), the Netherlands and the
US (1.3% each), and Uzbekistan (1.2%). The principal exporters of products
to Kazakhstan were Russia (38.2% of total imports), Germany (8.7%), the
US (7.6%), China (4.6%), Britain (3.9%), Italy (3.5%), Ukraine (3.2%),
Japan (2.7%), Turkey (2.6%), France and South Korea (1.6% each), Uzbekistan
(1.4%), and the Netherlands (1.3%).
Kazakh
industrial production, including small businesses and individual holdings,
was nearly 2.07 million tenge from January to November 2002 (9.8% more
than last year). Production in the mining industry increased by 14.8%,
in the processing industry by 7.4%. In the mining industry, the greatest
increase was seen in gas production (26.4%,) and crude oil and associated
gas (17.4%), iron ore mining (15.3%) and ferrous metal ores (7.2%). The
processing industry showed increases in all branches except machine building,
in which production figures fell by 2.2%. Production of leather and leather
goods and footwear was up by 1.4 times, textiles and clothes increased
by 1.2 times and chemicals increased by 13.9%. The manufacturing of foodstuffs,
including drinks, increased by 10.9%. Petroleum products increased by
9.2%, other non-metal mineral products increased by 8.6%, ferrous metal
products rose by 6.9% and nonferrous metals increased by 5.9%. Production
of pulp and paper industry and printing enterprises increased by 2.6%.
However, the production and distribution of electricity gas and water
from January to November was 1.9% below last year's figures. Industrial
growth was observed in all of the country's regions. |
