Today, the first meeting of the FIC Working Group on Digitalization was held under the chairmanship of the newly elected Co-Chair from the foreign side Working Group, - the Managing Partner KPMG in Central Asia, Mr. Saken Zhumashev.

We recall, that earlier at the KFICA annual general meeting 2021 in order to promote the Digital Agenda in the Republic of Kazakhstan, the foreign investors were invited to establish a Working Group on Digitalization within the framework of the Foreign Investors’ Council. At the same time, as a result of voting at a regular meeting of the KFICA ExCom members, Mr. Saken Zhumashev was elected as FIC Digitalization Working Group Сo-Chair from foreign side. The Co-Chair of the Working Group from the Kazakh side will be the Minister of Digital Development, Innovations and Aerospace Industry of the Republic of Kazakhstan Bagdat Mussin.

Digitalization is a basic element of all reforms and a key instrument for achieving National Competitiveness, this was announced earlier by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev, in his Address on September 1, 2020.

Today the whole world is switching to digitalization and online mode. The global pandemic has accelerated the pace of digitalization. Public services in the country can be obtained not only on eGov platform but also on the basis of other platforms and applications. At the same time, the country has legislated the equivalence of paper and digital documents. Digitalization is becoming a priority in all areas of the economy, such as the oil production industry, energy, healthcare, communications and liaison, big data and space industry, etc.

“I would like to thank every member of the Council for supporting our initiative to establish this Working Group on Digitalization. I think it is very important, because we as a community of big companies in Kazakhstan could develop proper agenda for upcoming years and help our government to improve issues related to digitalization”, -  said Saken Zhmashev.

“It’s a big honor to become a Co-Chair of this Working Group. I believe it is a great opportunity for me to establish the proper base for further activities and I hope that together we will be able to build something significant and tangible in terms of this Working Group”, - he added.

During the meeting, the KFICA foreign company-members shared their plans and vision in terms of digitalization for the exchange of experience and further development of general recommendations for the development of the IT sector in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

“This meeting has introductory purposes for our foreign investors. Our task today is to form a range of issues and recommendations for further work with the Kazakh side represented by the Minister of Digital Development and the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan,” – clarified Zhanna Baidasheva, KFICA Director.