At a meeting of the economic growth headquarters chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin, the government reviewed the performance of the manufacturing and construction sectors, where growth for the first nine months fell below forecasts.
Manufacturing continues to show positive dynamics in machinery (+14%), chemicals (+9.6%), construction materials (+4.7%), light industry (+9.4%), production of rubber and plastic goods (+6.1%), and metal products (+15.2%). Sector growth reached 6.2% in January–September, with around 6.3% expected for the year.
The slowdown is primarily linked to metallurgy, which accounts for about 40% of manufacturing output. Last year the sector posted a decade-high growth rate of 6.9%, creating a high base effect. This year’s decline stems from reduced ferroalloy and steel production: four out of five ferroalloy plants cut output due to higher electricity tariffs and scheduled maintenance. In non-ferrous metallurgy, the slowdown is attributed to the transition to underground mining at the Vasilkovskoe deposit and declining in-house reserves.
Zhumangarin instructed the Ministry of Energy to explore options for reduced electricity tariffs for ferroalloy producers.
Machinery manufacturing grew 14%, with the launch of passenger car production at Astana Motors Manufacturing Kazakhstan expected to further support the sector.
The chemical industry continues to expand due to increased production of key products, including ammonium phosphate (+55.4%), ammonium nitrate (+14.5%), polypropylene (+50.5%), and sulfuric acid (+7.3%).
Construction remains a key driver of the economy, showing 14.9% growth in nine months, with 15.2% expected by year-end. The largest share is in transport infrastructure (21.3%) and industrial facilities (20.5%). Zhumangarin instructed regional authorities to strengthen oversight of major projects and promptly escalate issues to the headquarters.
Source: Ministry of National Economy