AKTOBE REGION – An ore mining and processing enterprise of TNK KazChrom is developing a large industrial centre in the once single-industry mining town of Khromtau that now employs more than 7,600 people.
TNK KazChrom has allocated more than 430 million tenge (US$2.8 million) for the town’s development and the centre is continuing to modernise production and infrastructure, as well as invest in social services in the community and ongoing training for its employees.
Khromtau is a mining town that is well known internationally for its huge deposits of chromite ore. In 2012, Khromtau was among 27 Kazakhstan’s monotowns, which were towns that were supported by a single industry during the Soviet era. So the town’s leaders in 2012 approved a comprehensive plan with large projects to diversify its economy. New life has also been breathed into the town with the launch of construction of the international Western Europe-Western China transport corridor, including a rail line from Khromtau to Altynsarino.
Over the next three years, the national government also plans to spend approximately 1 billion tenge (US$6.4 million) to improve the town’s roads and other infrastructure. The long-term plan also includes construction of a new residential area with more than 750 low-rise houses, support and service industries, a business incubator, a support centre for businessmen and the implementation of partnership programmes.
The town’s comprehensive development plan has already brought noticeable changes. The Aktobe Bread Factory is expanding its macaroni production facility and the Keramika company is also modernising its local operation. In the first year of the towns’ development programme, the government also allocated 96 million tenge (US$618,240) to improve the heating systems in the gymnasiums of two schools and an education centre. About 14 million tenge (US$90,160) has also been spent improving lighting along the road from Samara to Shymkent. The local park and recreation area were also modernised.
