Atambaev Promises Economic Reform
Atambaev Promises Economic Reform
The new Kyrgyz prime minister has promised to devote himself to solving the country’s economic problems, but NBCentralAsia economic experts say that whatever the priorities the government adopts for its new economic strategy, it will only be successful if officialdom becomes more efficient.
On April 4, Prime Minister Almazbek Atambaev, who was part of then opposition until he was appointed, said he would present his economic programme in two weeks’ time. He told a press conference that the strategy would turn Kyrgyzstan’s economic situation around within two years, provided corruption levels are reduced.
NBCentralAsia economic observers have offered their recommendations for what such a strategy should include.
Economist Orozbek Duysheev believes priority should be given to developing the mining sector, especially the gold industry.
“The right approach to this sector will allow the [government] budget to grow and the foreign debt to be services. Gross domestic product could realistically achieve growth rates of eight per cent if that happened,” he said.
Another economist, Gani Abdirasulov, said small business was the key to progress, the government should create the right conditions for this to flourish.
Professor Jumakadyr Akeneev, a former agriculture minister, would like to see more attention being paid to export industries.
“The government should identify areas of industry that are able to produce competitive goods,” he said. “Then it should clear the way for them to export more.”
Whatever the government decides to focus on, NBCentralAsia’s economists agree success will hinge on politics and on selecting the right team of senior officials.
Akeneev said it was essential for the new prime minister’s strategy to be rolled out by a team of senior professionals whose hands were clean and who had substantial experience behind them.
Sapar Orozbakov, director of the Centre for Economic Analysis, said the number of bureaucrats in government should be slimmed down to leave a compact but effective system.
Atambaev has almost finished putting his cabinet together. While most ministers from the previous government have kept their posts, he insists he has tried to avoid appointing senior officials with no economics background.
(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)
On April 4, Prime Minister Almazbek Atambaev, who was part of then opposition until he was appointed, said he would present his economic programme in two weeks’ time. He told a press conference that the strategy would turn Kyrgyzstan’s economic situation around within two years, provided corruption levels are reduced.
NBCentralAsia economic observers have offered their recommendations for what such a strategy should include.
Economist Orozbek Duysheev believes priority should be given to developing the mining sector, especially the gold industry.
“The right approach to this sector will allow the [government] budget to grow and the foreign debt to be services. Gross domestic product could realistically achieve growth rates of eight per cent if that happened,” he said.
Another economist, Gani Abdirasulov, said small business was the key to progress, the government should create the right conditions for this to flourish.
Professor Jumakadyr Akeneev, a former agriculture minister, would like to see more attention being paid to export industries.
“The government should identify areas of industry that are able to produce competitive goods,” he said. “Then it should clear the way for them to export more.”
Whatever the government decides to focus on, NBCentralAsia’s economists agree success will hinge on politics and on selecting the right team of senior officials.
Akeneev said it was essential for the new prime minister’s strategy to be rolled out by a team of senior professionals whose hands were clean and who had substantial experience behind them.
Sapar Orozbakov, director of the Centre for Economic Analysis, said the number of bureaucrats in government should be slimmed down to leave a compact but effective system.
Atambaev has almost finished putting his cabinet together. While most ministers from the previous government have kept their posts, he insists he has tried to avoid appointing senior officials with no economics background.
(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)
