DEMOSCOPE Bureau for Express Monitoring of Public Opinion has conducted a public opinion to find out which perspectives small and medium sized enterprises have in Kazakhstan for their development.
1 821 respondents from Astana, Almaty and 14 regional centers of Kazakhstan took part in the poll. 68% of females and 32% of males aged over 18 were interviewed by phone and online.
The poll was conducted from 25 December 2015 to 05 January 2016.
The statistical error does not exceed 2,5%.
23% of the respondents from West Kazakhstan are sure that it is impossible to open own business in the current crisis conditions. The most skeptical interviewees of the West (36%) live in Pavlodarskaya Oblast. Such data were received during the survey conducted by DEMOSCOPE Bureau for Express Monitoring of Public Opinion to find out which perspectives small and medium sized enterprises have in Kazakhstan for the development.
The consequences of exchange rate fluctuation and other economic processes remind of a saying that crisis is the time for new opportunities. And in 2016 the Kazakhstan businessmen will have chance to find out if it is true or not.
According to 33% of the respondents, the key positive impact of small and medium sized business on the country is creation of additional working places. Another 13% think it is strengthening of social and economic stability. 10% mentioned making the country economy more flexible, and another 10% consider participation in forming state budget revenues. Only 4% of the interviewed people think the positive impact of SMB is to make an internal market independent of import.
From the opinion of 40% of the respondents, the main problem of SMB in Kazakhstan in 2015 was the imperfection of the legislation base and tax burdens. 28% of the interviewees were sure the main problem was the fall in exchange. And only 3% commented there are no problems or they are not critical.
Among the key factors for the development of SMB in Kazakhstan, the following were mentioned by the poll respondents: reduction of taxes for SMB (20%), limitation of quantity of inspections on SMB (10%), cooperation with the European Union (10%), concessional lending (10%), application of experience of SMB successful development in other countries (9%), legislative regulation of SMB (7%), simplifying procedures of tax and statistical reporting for SMB (6%), and cooperation within the Eurasian Economic Union (5%).
Only 4% of the respondents think that such projects as Damu Entrepreneurship Development Fund and other state programs are the main factor for the SMB development in Kazakhstan.
Men and women had different opinions about the preferred sphere to open own business. 10% of the interviewed females would like to sell food items, while the same portion of male respondents preferred restaurant business. The second most popular business spheres among females are medical centers or pharmacy stores, as well as providing legal and notarial services. 9% of male respondents voted for education services.
The interviewees of different ages also had different opinions about the most prospective sphere to open own business. So, young people aged from 18 to 28 would like to have own restaurant business (16%). 11% of those aged 29 to 39 would prefer to open own medical center or pharmacy store. Near 11% of the respondents aged 40 to 69 mentioned selling food items, which was the most popular answer among interviewees in this particular group.
78% of the poll respondents chose different spheres where they would like to open own business. However, when saying about preferable sphere to open own business in, 14% of the interviewed people told it is impossible to start own business due to the current economic conditions.
In the West Kazakhstan 28% of the respondents would like to have own trading business. The people questioned in South and East regions consider service industry as the most attractive for opening own business (33% and 26% correspondingly). The respondents from Central Kazakhstan (40%), Almaty (27%) and Astana (26%) had the same opinion.