Moody's повысило рейтинги Астане и Атырауской области (Казахстан)

/REUTERS, Лондон, 28.02.03/ - Международное рейтинговое агентство Moody's повысило рейтинг столицы Казахстана Астаны до "Ba1" c "Ba3", Атырауской области - до "Ba2" c "Ba3", говорится в сообщении агентства. Рейтинги казахских регионов были повышены вслед за повышением рейтинга Казахстана до Baa3 c Ba2 20 сентября 2002 года. "Повышение рейтинга этих регионов отражает улучшение макроэкономической ситуации и хорошие перспективы экономического роста страны. Он также принимает во внимание высокий уровень контроля со стороны центральной власти за финансами регионов, в том числе, строгий контроль за выпуском долговых обязательств и участие в формировании бюджетов", - говорится в сообщении агентства. Астана, по мнению агентства, пользуется серьезными преимуществами в качестве столицы страны. Общий уровень налоговых поступлений в регионе остается стабильным, несмотря на последние изменения налоговой системы. На территории Атырауская область, примыкающей к Каспийскому морю, расположены многие нефтяные месторождения страны, и инвестиции в энергетическую отрасль являются движущей силой развития региона. Ниже следует оригинал сообщения Moody's на английском языке: London, 28 February 2003 - Moody's Investors Service has upgraded the issuer rating of the City of Astana to Ba1 from Ba3 and that of Atyrau Oblast to Ba2 from B1. Today's rating action concludes the review on these ratings that was initiated on 20 September 2002 following Moody's upgrade of the Republic of Kazakhstan's foreign currency rating to Baa3 from Ba2. The upgrade of these Kazakh local governments reflects the improvement in the macroeconomic environment and the country's good economic growth prospects. It also takes into account the high level of central government oversight over the regions' finances, including strict controls on debt issuance and close involvement in the budget-setting process. The City of Astana continues to benefit from its position as the country's new capital city and the local economy is enjoying strong growth in construction and service industries. Overall tax revenues are stable, despite recent changes in the tax structure, and debt levels are moderate. Atyrau Oblast is located on the shore of the oil-rich Caspian Sea and investment in the oil industry drives the local economy. Although oil output has recently levelled off, strong growth is expected when further projects come on stream. Recent changes in the revenue structure of the Oblast led to a significant drop in the proportion of tax revenues retained by the Oblast, although this was mostly offset by a reduction in the size of the "withdrawals" (revenue clawbacks by central government). Debt levels are also moderate. Moody's noted that, despite the close links between the central government and the regions, the regions' ratings continue to be constrained by a lack of predictability and transparency in the intergovernmental framework, in particular with regard to tax revenue distribution, transfers and withdrawals. The City of Astana is located in northern Kazakhstan. It has an estimated population of around 500,000 and has been the Kazakh capital since 1997. The Oblast of Atyrau is situated in western Kazakhstan on the north coast of the Caspian Sea. It has approximately 446,000 inhabitants, accounting for 3% of Kazakhstan's population. New York Yves Lemay Senior Vice President Financial Institutions Group Moody's Investors Service JOURNALISTS: 212-553-0376 SUBSCRIBERS: 212-553-1653 London Elisabeth Rudman Vice President - Senior Analyst Financial Institutions Group Moody's Investors Service Ltd. 44 20 7772 5454 [2003-02-28]