10.01.2025, 17:04 48596

President Tokayev briefed on Kazakhstan Railways’ operations in 2024

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev met with Kazakhstan Railways Chairman Nurlan Sauranbayev, Akorda reports.

Sauranbayev made a report on the outcomes of the national company’s operations in 2024 as well as informed about the positive trend in the operational performance of the company.

The net freight turnover stood at 272 billion ton-kilometers. The record volume of 32 million tons of freight were transported via Kazakh-Chinese railway tracks, a 13.1% increase than in 2023. Container transit rose 8.8%. Container ship deliveries hit 1.4 million TEUs.

Up to 2,800 km of tracks have been restored so far, while over 1,000km of new railway tracks are under construction: Dostyq-Moiynty, Darbaza-Maktaaral and Almaty railway bypass. Works to build a second railway track on Dostyk-Moiynty section as well as a Zhetygen-Kazybek-bek bypass line are ahead of schedule and will be completed by 2025, said Sauranbayev.

Chairman Sauranbayev spoke about the terminal network expansion aimed at enhancing freight flows via the country’s corridors.

Increase in transit from China through the Trans-Caspian Route is attributable to the launch of the Kazakh-Chinese terminal in the dry port in Xi'an. Construction of terminals in the direction East-West in Almaty, in Azerbaijan’s sea port, in Budapest and in Selyatino village near Moscow is underway. A container hub in Aktau Port is under construction in collaboration with China’s Lianyungang Port, he said.

Sauranbayev also presented a number of new projects supported by the Head of State as well as briefed that the company seeks to place priority attention to infrastructure and terminal network development and implementation of digital solutions.

In turn, President Tokayev highlighted the importance of stepping up the work in these areas. According to him, the gradual realization of the tasks set will allow to achieve significant results in enhancing the country’s position as a transit hub in Eurasia.

Earlier, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev received Chairman and CEO of Sinovation Ventures Kai-Fu Lee.

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04.04.2025, 16:18 25876

President Tokayev calls on CA to join forces to address climate challenges

Images | Akorda

Central Asia is among the world’s most vulnerable regions to climate change, President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated at the Central Asia in the Face of Global Climate Challenges international conference in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, Akorda reports.

The Kazakh leader said, ‘Central Asia’s warming almost twice as fast as the global average, affected by glacier melting, desertification and water shortage’.

Calling for concerted efforts from all countries of the region, President Tokayev highlighted the importance to link climate solutions with national strategies and establish a quality synergy for the region’s all-round development.

It’s necessary to strike a balance between economic growth and climate agenda, stated the Kazakh President.

According to Tokayev, Kazakhstan is making a great contribution to global efforts to support climate-vulnerable countries and made ‘green’ transition its strategic priority.

The Kazakh leader said Kazakhstan accounts for nearly 40% of global uranium production, adding that almost 10% of the world’s electricity comes from nuclear power plants.

Kazakhstan is set to build its first nuclear power plant to reduce emissions and boost its energy security, said Tokayev.

The President of Kazakhstan highlighted the potential of rare earth elements in adopting clean technologies, saying, ‘Kazakhstan holds significant reserves of many critical raw materials as well as established a full production cycle’.

The Kazakh leader also revealed insights into Central Asia’s water challenges, saying that supply of water per person has dropped 30% in the past 20 years and that 70% of the region’s water resources are transboundary.

President Tokayev called on the international community for support in promoting water-saving technologies, smart irrigation and hydrological monitoring. ‘Kazakhstan advocates for creation of a Central Asian Water Energy Partnership,’ he said.

Tokayev also voiced Kazakhstan’s quest to restore and preserve biodiversity and endangered species inhabiting Central Asia, announcing his decision to establish the International Biodiversity Fund under the President in Kazakhstan.

Earlier it was reported that the first CA-EU summit had kicked off in Uzbekistan's Samarkand.

As written before, Kazakh leader Kassym-Jomart Tokayev landed in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, for the Central Asia-EU summit and the international conference Central Asia in the Face of Climate Change Challenges.

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04.04.2025, 10:14 30331

Expansion of industrial potential. Large-scale projects launched in Kazakhstan's regions

On 2 April, at the meeting of the headquarters on ensuring economic growth chaired by Deputy Minister - Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin discussed the development of Astana, Almaty, Ulytau and Karaganda region, primeminister.kz reports.

Astana: investments in development

The capital ranks first among the regions by the number of investment projects and population growth rate. The share of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the city's economy is 73%, which is twice as high as the national average.

To date, the Astana pool includes 130 investment projects worth 2.5 trillion tenge with the creation of 18,300 jobs. In 2025 it is planned to implement at least 50 projects attracting more than 300 billion tenge of investments.

Along with this, a number of major projects have been launched, such as:

Kazak Protein plant (170 billion tenge for deep processing of wheat;
TOKK Kazakhstan (55 billion tenge the production of light metal packaging;
LASSELSBERGER (23.6 billion tenge the production of construction mixtures and paints;
Electric locomotive kurastyru zauyty (15 billion tenge is a service centre for electric locomotives.

Akim of Astana Zhenis Kassymbek at the meeting of the headquarters informed that for further development of the industrial cluster near the capital starts construction of Industrial Park № 2, on the territory of which it is planned to implement about 50 investment projects worth more than 500 billion tenge. In addition, the capital is preparing to launch a number of major logistics projects, including the logistics hub Wildberries and the second phase of the transport and logistics centre Ozon. For all logistics projects, it is necessary to bring in engineering infrastructure.

Karaganda Region: industrial agglomeration

The region is implementing 118 investment projects worth 174.6 billion tenge, creating 2,900 jobs. Significant facilities include:

Hot-dip galvanising plant (6.2 billion tenge, 115 jobs);
Hyperborea wind power plant (50.6 billion tenge, 20 jobs);
Silicon alloys plant (62.8 billion tenge, 497 jobs);
TEMPO Kazakhstan steel pipe production (25 billion tenge, 400 jobs);
Production of aluminium radiators (18.6 billion tenge, 183 jobs).

Akim of the region Yermaganbet Bulekpaev voiced the need to increase the power supply capacity of Saryarka FEZ and Saran industrial zone. In 2027 on the territory of Saryarka FEZ is planned to start construction of a plant for the production of special-purpose steel Kazakhstal, for which it is necessary to expand the territory of the FEZ. At the same time, as part of the creation of multimodal air hub CargoHUB Karaganda, FEZ also needs to expand the list of priority activities.

Deputy Prime Minister supported the proposals of Karaganda region in terms of bringing infrastructure to FEZ and expanding the list of activities, instructed the MNE to work out this issue in a short time with the Ministry of Railways.

Ulytau: industrial development

Ulytau is one of the leaders in terms of gross regional product per capita (6.1 million tenge). The region has 19 investment projects planned for 933 billion tenge with the creation of 2.2 thousand jobs. In 2025, the implementation of 17 of them for the amount of 138 billion tenge will begin, including:

Development of the Western Karazhal deposit;
Construction of the sulphuric acid shop at the Zhezkazgan smelter;
Modernisation of concentrators;
Construction of an oil depot and a respirator plant.

An industrial zone has been created in Satpayev, within the framework of which 4 projects worth 28 billion tenge are being developed with the creation of 150 jobs. Dastan Ryspekov, Akim of the region, raised the issue of the need to finance from the republican budget the necessary infrastructure to the FEZ. Serik Zhumangarin also supported this proposal, instructing to include the issue of financing the necessary infrastructure in the list of priority tasks. Deputy Prime Minister emphasised that for effective economic development of Ulytau region it is necessary to increase the pool of investment projects and start developing coal chemistry and agriculture.

Almaty: car industry and tourism

Almaty is implementing 95 private investment projects worth 1.5 trillion tenge, creating 21.5 thousand jobs. The GRP growth forecast is 6.4%.

A number of significant facilities are scheduled for commissioning in 2025:

Multi-brand plant for the production of Haval, Chery, Changan cars (182 billion tenge, 90 thousand cars per year);
Almaty Museum of Arts (44 billion tenge);
Wildberries logistics centre (43.2 billion tenge);
Medeu Park Hotel (17bn tenge).

There are also plans to expand the industrial zone in Almaty, with the second phase of development covering 194 hectares of territory. Deputy Akim of Almaty Alisher Abdykadyrov informed that the expansion of the industrial zone is delayed due to the long approval of project documentation with the State Expertise. Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumangarin instructed the MNE together with the MPS to work out the issues that have arisen so that investment projects are not delayed.

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04.04.2025, 09:07 30631

Localisation in machine building: John Deere launches production of agricultural machinery in Kostanay

Images | primeminister.kz

As part of the implementation of the Head of State's instruction to diversify the economy, the Government is prioritising support for domestic manufacturers. A big stimulus for the development of the machine building industry was the refusal last year to subsidise imported tractors and combines in favour of support for Kazakhstani production, which promoted localisation. An example of this is the launch of production of self-propelled, trailed and mounted equipment of the American company John Deere on the basis of the Localisation Centre in the city of Kostanai. This was an important step in the development of domestic machine building and introduction of advanced technologies in the agricultural sector of Kazakhstan, primeminister.kz reports.

John Deere is a world leader in the production of agricultural machinery, and localisation of its products in Kazakhstan will be an important step in the development of the industry. The production will be launched on the basis of the Localisation Centre of the Agromash plant, which is the largest localised industrial site in the country in the field of agricultural machinery, providing a high level of production and technical support.

The launch of localised John Deere production will accelerate the pace of renewal of the agricultural machinery fleet by opening new opportunities for farmers in Kazakhstan, including expansion of the range of locally adapted tractors and combines, as well as access to their purchase through state support measures. It is important to note that Kazakhstani agricultural producers can purchase domestically produced machinery on affordable terms. On the instructions of the President, the country has launched a programme of preferential leasing of domestically produced agricultural machinery at 5% per annum, for which 120 billion tenge has been allocated. This year 3.2 thousand Kazakhstani farmers will have an opportunity to renew their vehicle fleets under the programme of preferential leasing.

Agromash plant president Dinara Shukizhanova said that due to the political and economic reforms carried out in the country, it became possible to create industrial co-operation with the advanced American brand John Deere. As a result of the implementation of such high-tech projects in the country, not only new jobs will be created, but also the main emphasis is placed on the introduction of innovative technologies, training of highly qualified personnel with engineering thinking.

The official representative of John Deere brand in Kazakhstan is Eurasia Group. Within the framework of the project, they will continue to sell agricultural machinery, but already produced in Kazakhstan, as well as providing services and introducing digital solutions in the agricultural sector of Kazakhstan. In addition, the implementation of the project implies investment of additional resources in the development of the economy, education, including training of service and profile specialists in agriculture: agronomists, engineers, mechanisers and IT-cadres. In the next 5 years, three modern service centres will be built, which will become key platforms for the introduction of digital technologies and improving the efficiency of the country's agro-industrial complex.

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03.04.2025, 15:07 40036

Olzhas Bektenov holds meeting on digital tenge implementation and mechanisms of control over targeted use of budget funds

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Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov held a meeting on the implementation of the instructions of the Head of State on the digital transformation of the economy, given at an enlarged Government session in February 2024, primeminister.kz reports.

The current situation and further plans for the development of the National Digital Financial Infrastructure, implementation of projects aimed at ensuring traceability and improving the efficiency of budget spending through digital tenge were considered. With the participation of Timur Suleimenov, Chairman of the National Bank of Kazakhstan, Askhat Zhumagali, Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Agency, discussed measures to ensure the openness of the financial ecosystem, consumer protection, and combating fraudulent transactions.

Approaches to the development of key components of the financial infrastructure - interbank payment card system, Open API, Anti-Fraud Centre, digital tenge were presented by Binur Zhalenov, Advisor to the Chairman of the National Bank. Today the Bank's systems process 90% of the total payment turnover in the country and about 30 million requests for digital biometric identification. The volume of illegal transactions timely blocked by the Anti-Fraud Centre amounted to 2 billion tenge, and over 36 thousand such incidents were detected. 108 organisations, including all second-tier banks, large payment organisations and MFIs, are connected to the technological platform. Also in July this year, together with the second-tier banks it is planned to launch the service of interbank payments by QR.

The progress of the pilot project with the use of digital tenge, launched in 2024 for the purpose of traceability of public funds spending was discussed.

Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Agency Askhat Zhumagali said that the project is being tested in the most corruption-prone areas. A total of about 250 billion tenge has been issued so far. The developers envisage linking unique digital tags to each monetary unit, which allows you to track their use at all stages from allocation to full utilisation of funds. The effectiveness of this method in the agro-industrial complex was considered on the example of the implementation of the programme ‘Auyl Amanaty’ with the participation of farms in Akmola region. Specially programmed digital tenges were used for crediting the purchase of farm animals by farmers and ensured full transparency of the process, excluding the possibility of fictitious transactions.

Within the framework of the approved Road Map, the project implementation this year will continue with the construction of railways and motorways in Karaganda, Pavlodar and Atyrau regions. It should be noted that domestic entrepreneurs attend the approbation voluntarily, which is evidence of their commitment to the Open Book principle of doing business.

In addition, a digital tenge-based pilot project digital VAT has been launched to improve the efficiency of administration and speed up the VAT refund procedure.

The Prime Minister emphasised the importance of further scaling of the National Digital Financial Infrastructure, as well as wider use of the digital tenge, which will provide serious budget savings.

As noted by the Head of State, the possibility of marking and colouring money with the help of digital tenge may become key for controlling the spending of budgetary funds.

In general, a lot of work is being done by the National Bank together with other interested government agencies on digital transformation of the financial system. As for the digital tenge as the main topic of discussion, I support all your endeavours. We should pay mandatory attention to the fact that the introduction of the digital tenge will help to re-engineer the processes of finance taking into account the new realities. Business processes must change and become more transparent. Entrepreneurs should be guided by the following postulate: if you work with budget money, you should disclose where you spend it, show the whole chain of suppliers, contractors and subcontractors. It is necessary to expand the piloting of digital tenge," Olzhas Bektenov emphasised.

Following the meeting, the Ministries of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace, Finance, Industry and Construction, National Economy will work out amendments to the legislation regulating the use of new digital instruments, as well as the development of a methodology for programming e-money.

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02.04.2025, 10:57 54046

Modern solutions to improve public service delivery quality introduced in Kazakhstan

Chairman of the Board of the Government for Citizens NAO Arman Kenzhegaliyev reported on measures to expand the list of public services provided in digital format at the Government session, primeminister.kz reports.

According to him, there are 334 service centres in the country, which provide 1,296 types of services. In 2024, the centres provided more than 23 million services. Compared to previous years, their number has decreased due to the development of electronic services.

In 2024, two SuperCons were opened in the cities of Karaganda and Kyzylorda. These centres house the Akimat, several state bodies, communal organisations and banking offices.

The digital offices are divided into zones aimed at creating comfortable conditions for customers and providing services on a paperless basis.

Last year, the number of such offices reached 76, and 20 more DPCs are planned to be modernised this year.

In addition, the State Corporation is introducing new services to improve the quality of service:

Personal Manager. This project is aimed at ensuring accessibility of public services. The service is provided on a paid basis.
Electronic consent for registration of foreign citizens. In case of temporary registration, an SMS-message is sent to the owner of the accommodation. This measure prevents the registration of foreigners without the knowledge of the landlord.
Reception of service recipients' appeals in cases of inoperability of information systems.
Control of access to personal data. Now, in the absence of citizens' consent, employees of the Centre will not have access to personal data. All types of services provided to individuals are connected to this service. The issue of connecting services provided to legal entities is in the works.
Notification of property owners about all registration actions. Notifications are sent to the owner's personal account on the e-government portal. Last year more than 6 million messages were sent.

In the future, 3 more services will be focused on issuing ready documents and servicing citizens in remote villages.

The issues of financial sustainability of the State Corporation and reducing the burden on the state budget are very important. In 2024, income from additional commercial services totalled 2.6 billion tenge.

Further development of commercial services is expected this year.

Special attention is paid to the sphere of issuing driving licences. Last year, 620 thousand documents were issued.

In 2024, a number of works have been carried out, including: an electronic service for booking a queue to take the exam has been launched.

In addition, in addition to the practical trial exam, a trial theoretical test has been introduced. Candidates can now familiarise themselves with the exam questions in advance.

Some projects are under consideration by the authorised body. For example, the introduction of administrative responsibility for the use of prohibited technical means during examinations.

Last year, 3 million services were rendered in the sphere of vehicle registration.

Such activities as electronic signing of sale and purchase agreements, accelerated production of state registration marks and car insurance were carried out in this sphere. The issue of choosing any desired state registration number is under consideration of the authorised body.

The following activities are planned for this year:

In the area of issuing driving licences - introduction of ‘AR’ and ‘Computer Vision’ technologies in taking examinations, revision of the procedure for taking examinations based on European experience.

To improve the vehicle registration process, it is planned to launch the State Corporation's platform for document execution, implement biometric identification services and check vehicle history.

In order to popularise e-services among the population, 303 self-service zones are functioning in the CSC. Last year, citizens received more than 8 million services in the sectors.

Compared to 2023, there is a 45.7% decrease in the number of services received, which is due to the receipt of demanded services in mobile applications of banks, Egov and through calls to the contact centre 1414.

The Chairman of the Board of NAO ‘Government for Citizens’ noted that in 2025, the State Corporation intends to increase the share of electronic services to 60% and to introduce a consultant with elements of artificial intelligence in self-service areas. Another front line of the State Corporation is a single contact centre. Last year, 27.1 million calls were received.

The Unified Contact Centre has introduced an intelligent voice robot that advises on 60 in-demand services and provides 10 types of services. These include certificates of birth, criminal record, psycho-narcological dispensaries, etc.

In 2024, the virtual voice assistant processed 20 per cent of traffic, this year it is planned to increase its share to 40 per cent.

In addition, this year it is planned to implement a pilot project to introduce artificial intelligence in the contact centre activities and unite more than 30 contact centres of administrative bodies on the basis of a single contact centre 1414.

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