Astana, 4 November, . Kazakhstan’s business activity index rose to 51.1 points in October, and in trade it exceeded the neutral 50 points for the first time since the start of the year, Rustem Orazalin, director of the National Bank’s monetary policy department, said.
The trade index rose from 48.6 in September to 50.4, services from 51.0 to 52.3 and construction from 50.9 to 51.7. In manufacturing the indicator fell from 52.1 to 51.1 but stayed above the neutral level. Only mining contracted: its index fell from 48.9 to 48.5. The business climate index rose to 12.5; according to the National Bank, entrepreneurs rated both current and future business conditions more favourably.
The 50-point mark separates growth from decline: above it, more companies report improvement; below it, deterioration.
What it means: Business feels more confident almost everywhere except mining, where the decline continues as the oil plan is cut.
Who benefits: Retailers and builders, whose business has picked up, and the National Bank, which takes business sentiment into account in its rate decisions; the data bode ill for the extractive industries.
Background: The 2026 oil production plan has been cut to 96 million tonnes, as the energy minister said earlier in the day.
