BAKU, Azerbaijan, August 29. The economic situation in Kazakhstan is a major obstacle to doing business for 38.9 percent of enterprises, Trend reports via the National Bank of Kazakhstan.
The utilization of production capacities of enterprises has increased, the average level of utilization amounted to 53.7 percent (in the first quarter of 2022 - 52.7 percent).
The volume of production of finished products has increased. The diffusion index is growing from 47.0 to 53.7
Demand for finished products has slowed down slightly. The diffusion index changed from 52.7 to 51.3. According to the expectations of companies, the process of restoring demand will remain at the same level. The enterprises expect a slowdown in the growth of prices for raw materials and, accordingly, for finished products in the third quarter of 2022.
A total of 16.2 percent of surveyed enterprises applied for a loan from the bank, and 15.2 percent received a loan (or 93.9 percent of those who applied for a loan). The vast majority of enterprises (82.5 percent) attracted a loan to finance working capital (purchase of materials, raw materials, semi-finished products, etc.).
The economic situation in Kazakhstan is still the main obstacle to doing business for 38.9 percent of enterprises. Other obstacles are the following: the market competition (28 percent), the level of the tax burden (23.3 percent), the search for buyers (23 percent), the lack of qualified personnel (21.6 percent), the difficulty of repayment of receivables (12.9 percent), while access to finance is in eight places in the order of importance (12.5 percent).