Unit 6
1. Read the text:
Kazakhstan, having chosen the unique model of development, has managed to construct the strong state, with effective economy. Moreover, the young republic became the leader in the region according to the economic growth level, political transformation and the standard of living.
It is for several years that the Republic keeps high level of economic growth, going on this parameter in step with such countries, as China, India, the countries of ASEAN. The basis of our economic growth is liberation of the private initiative and business, active foreign trade, attraction of investments.
The economic success of our country of the last years is to no small degree caused by an effective utilization of our raw-material base. Today our energy carriers are delivered on the foreign markets. It promotes a deepening of cooperation with our foreign partners.
Kazakhstan is important to world energy markets because it has significant oil and natural gas reserves. Within the next decade Kazakhstan is going to become one of the world’s largest oil producers and exporters. But Kazakhstan’s strategic aspiration is to become a modern, diversified economy with a high value added and high-tech component, well integrated into the global economy. Energy sector is viewed as a good basis to achieve this goal.
The perspective of our country’s economy is closely connected with further integration into international economic relations, utilization of unique reserves of energy and mineral resources, vast possibilities to export industrial and agricultural products, optimum employment of country’s transit potential and also with availability of highly qualified specialists in different spheres.
During the Soviet period Kazakhstan was an agrarian, raw materials supplier of the former Soviet economy, where the military industry played the major role. The main economic content of the first 15 years of independence has become a transition from the central command planning to a market economy.
The first few years of our country’s independence were characterized by an economic decline (mostly due to the destabilizing force of disintegration of the USSR). The wide-ranging inflation observed in the early 1990s peaked an annual rate of up to 3000% in mid-nineties.
Since 1992 Kazakhstan has actively pursued a program of economic reforms designed to establish a free market economy through deregulation and privatization of state enterprises. Today it is generally considered to be more advanced in this respect than most other countries of the CIS and it remains one of the most successful reformers with the strongest banking system in Central Asia and CIS.
The main goals of our current structural policy are diversification and strengthening of non-oil sector. A number of development agencies, techno-scientific parks and research centres (development institutions) have been established to support the diversification of higher-value added industries.
The EU and USA have recognized our country (first in CIS) as a country with market economy giving it an investment grade status. In January 2005 the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) has upgraded Kazakhstan’s export risks rating, moving it from the 5th to the 4th group of risks.
Our country possesses sizeable amounts of oil and gas, coal, uranium and other raw materials but in spite of these abundant resources the Government and the country’s energy sector keep an attentive eye on global energy trends. Optimal energy mix, efficient energy use, significant environment component of energy policy, research and development of renewables are all on the country’s energy policy agenda. Energy transportation and infrastructure are key elements of a viable energy policy. Many countries show their strong interest to cooperate with Kazakhstan in this area, particularly on trans-continental gas and oil transportation issues.
Commercial viability, technical and environmental safety and financial soundness are the guiding principles for Kazakhstan’s strategy in this crucial area. The main economic priority for our country is to avoid overdependence on its oil and gas and mineral sector, but to use these natural assets to build a modern, diversified, highly-technological, flexible and competitive economy with a high value-added component.
A. Translate into Russian:
utilization of unique reserves optimal energy mix
energy and mineral resources abundant resources
agrarian and raw materials supplier efficient energy use
significant reserves current structural policy
central command planning the standard of living
political transformation economic growth level
vast possibilities to export goods a high value added component
B. Find and translate sentences with the following phrases:
to be well integrated into the global economy;
further integration into international economic relations;
optimum employment of country’s transit potential;
availability of highly qualified specialists;
to be designed to establish a free market economy;
diversification and strengthening of non-oil sector;
keep an attentive eye on global energy trends.
C. Answer the questions:
1. What is the strategic aspiration of Kazakhstan? 2. What are the guiding principles for a country’s strategy? 3. Why was it necessary to develop a sustainable program of economic reforms? 4. What for did the Government establish development agencies, institutions and techno-scientific parks? 5. Why do you think it is important to support the diversification of higher-value added industries? 6. What issues are on the country’s energy policy agenda? 7. What are the key elements of a viable energy policy? 8. How can a country provide its technical safety? 9. Why is financial soundness really necessary? 10. What is essential for building a diversified, highly-technological and competitive economy?
D. Check your partner’s knowledge of the following:
| A. 1. diversified, competitive economy 2. to peak an annual rate 3. economy with a high value-added component 4. financial soundness 5. technical and environmental safety 6. key elements of a viable policy 7. research and development of renewables 8. to use natural assets 9. to be all on the country’s policy agenda 10. to avoid overdependence 11. to possess sizeable amounts of oil and gas 12. in mid-nineties 13. state enterprises 14. deregulation 15. to establish techno-scientific parks 16. development agencies 17. higher-value added industries 18. guiding principles for a country’s strategy 19. the main economic priority |
| B.1. многоотраслевая, конкурентная экономика 2. достичь годового уровня 3. экономика с высокодоходной составляющей 4. финансовая прочность 5. техническая и экологическая безопасность 6. ключевые элементы жизнеспособной политики 7. разработка и поиски возобновляемых источников 8. использовать природные ресурсы 9. быть на повестке дня политики страны 10. избежать чрезмерной зависимости 11. обладать значительным количеством нефти и газа 12. в середине 90-х 13. государственные предприятия 14. прекращение регулирования 15. организовать научно-технические парки 16. агентства развития 17. высокодоходные отрасли промышленности 18. руководящие принципы стратегии страны 19. главное экономическое преимущество, приоритет |
E. Use the following phrases to make up your own sentences based on the text:
high value-added component economic decline
efficient energy use destabilizing force
high value-added component in this respect
the wide-ranging inflation the main goals
abundant resources viable energy policy
commercial viability crucial area
to avoid overdependence to use natural assets
diversified economy to peak an annual rate
financial soundness environmental safety
F. Match a line in A with a line in B:
| A | B | A | B |
| energy diversified significant wide-ranging current abundant crucial | markets economy reserves inflation policy resources area | strategic economic annual sizeable efficient avoid environmental | aspiration decline rate amounts use safety dependence |
2. Translate the following:
In 2006 Kazakhstan has additionally announced a major drive for the Strategy to enter the 50 most competitive nations in the world in ten years’ time. In 2007 a State Program of “30 Corporate Leaders of Kazakhstan” aimed at diversification of the economy has been launched. The goal of the Program is to modernize the economy and support Kazakh companies willing to enter international markets through offering competitive products.
Diversification of the economy, introduction of international technical, financial, business standards, accession to the WTO, promotion of corporate governance, greater transparency and accountability, education and a concerted administrative reform have been identified as the key drivers to implement the above strategies.
Aiming to cut bureaucracy the Government is widely introducing the “e-government” in all major sectors. This measure coupled with other result-oriented administrative reform steps is viewed, among other things, as an important tool in the fight against red-tape and corruption.
In order to boost its financial markets and to improve the country’s competitive edge the Government established the “Samruk” State holding company, “Kazyna” Fund and the Regional Financial Centre in Almaty (RFCA). It was made for greater transparency and accountability as well as for more sustainable development through enforcing the principles of efficient corporate governance and management.
Kazakhstan has officially announced its aspiration to become a trilingual nation to help meeting its ambitious goals. These will be Kazakh as the state language, Russian as the language of interethnic communication, and English as the language of successful integration into the global economy and community.
3. Match a line in A with a line in B:
| A. 1. to announce a major drive 2. to enter the 50 most competitive nations in the world 3. to be aimed at diversification 4. to launch a State Program 5. to enter a market through offering competitive products 6. result-oriented administrative reform steps 7. fight against red-tape and corruption 8. in order to further improve 9. the country’s competitive edge 10. to enforce the principles of efficient corporate governance and management 11. transparency and accountability 12. sustainable development 13. aspiration to become a trilingual nation 14. the language of interethnic communication |
| B.а) объявить о главном направлении b) войти в число 50 самых конкурентоспособных стран мира c) нацеливаться на многообразие d) разработать программу e) войти на рынок, предлагая конкурентную продукцию f) шаги по административным реформам, нацеленные на результат g) борьба против волокиты и коррупции h) с целью дальнейшего улучшения i) конкурентное преимущество страны j) проводить в жизнь принципы эффективного корпоративного руководства k) прозрачность и подотчетность l) устойчивое развитие m) стремление стать трехъязычной нацией n) язык межэтнического общения |
4. Read the text: