ASTANA, Kazakhstan, August 4. The business activity slowed down slightly in July in Kazakhstan, remaining on the positive side, 50.7, Trend reports.
According to the country's National Bank, the increase in the indicator was notable in the services and manufacturing sectors, where the indices registered growth at 51.5 and 50.1, respectively. Within the services sector, all components improved except for delivery times. Meanwhile, the manufacturing industry saw an increase in employment levels and new order volumes.
However, the mining sector faced challenges as its index slipped into negative territory at 48.8. This decline was attributed to a decrease in both material inventory and new product output. The construction industry managed to improve its score to 49.2, compared to 47.8 in June, but still faces constraints due to delivery times and the volume of new orders, which are hindering overall activity.
Furthermore, both current and future business conditions received lower evaluations, leading to a decline in the overall business climate index. The composite index, representing an averaged assessment of current and future business conditions, dropped to 11.3 in July 2023 from 15.7 in the previous month.
The business activity index is an indicator that characterizes the state of the economy in the real sector and allows for the study of the dynamics of economic trends and critical and turning points of the business cycle.