The share of domestically manufactured construction materials increased to 72 percent in the domestic market of the country, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and New Technologies of Kazakhstan Asset Issekeshev said at a meeting of the ministry board on Feb. 6. “The State Programme of Accelerated Industrial Innovative Development (SPAIID) set a task to increase the share of domestically produced construction materials to 80 percent. I am confident that this indicator will be reached,” Issekeshev said. “Thanks to the launch of two concrete plants this year, the western and central regions of the country can completely haltconcrete imports. They can satisfy 100 percent of the country’s concrete needs,” he added.
The 9th TransEurasia-2014 international conference will take place in Astana this May, Minister of Transport and Communications of Kazakhstan Askar Zhumagaliyev said at the 17th Eurasian Economic Forum in Istanbul. As the press service of the Kazakhstan Embassy in Turkey reported, Zhumagaliyev noted that the creation of effective transit systems and the development of transport infrastructure are very important for landlocked Kazakhstan in international trade. In this regard, the minister emphasised the role of the upcoming 9th TransEurasia-2014 conference and the Transit Kazakhstan exhibition that is planned to be held at the 7th Astana Economic Forum in May. The minister stressed the importance of the conference held once every three years in improving transport, communications, trade and economic relations in Eurasia. He also noted that within the implementation of the President’s idea for the development of the Silk Road and transit potential, Kazakhstan greatly contributes to the development of transport routes in Eurasia by means of the Western Europe–Western China transit corridor and by enhancing the potential of the sea port of Aktau, which bridges such transport corridors as TRACECA and the North-South transit corridor. In this regard, according to the minister, the launch of the Kars– Tbilisi–Baku railway will expand the reach of the Aktau Sea Port. Representatives of more than 25 Eurasian states,as well as foreign and Turkish parliament members, representatives of international organisations, heads of diplomatic missions, NGOs and others took part in the event.
Kazakhstan plans to assemble 60,000 cars this year, which is 50 percent more compared to 2013, Tengrinews reported, citing Minister of Industry and New Technology Asset Issekeshev who spoke at a meeting of the ministry’s board on Feb. 6. “The ministry will pay special attention to the car-making industry […](in order) to exceed the target of 60,000 cars,” he said. Literature distributed at the meeting states that Kazakhstan assembled 37,471 cars in 2013, up twofold from 19,186 in 2012. Car assembly facilities assembled a total of 992 buses, which is much higher than the 205 of 2012. Export revenues of Kazakhstan’s car-making plants in 2014 were estimated at $220 million, according to Andrey Lavrentiyev, head of the Kazakhstan Association of the CarManufacturing Industry. “This year will be a milestone with 11,000 cars worth $220 million being delivered to the other two Customs Union member states” (Russia and Belarus). According to him, Kazakhstan-based car factories have signed four contracts to export cars. As shown in his presentation, in 2015, Kazakhstan plans to export 21,000 cars, bringing the figure up to 58,000 by 2016.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Industry and New Technologies Asset Issekeshev reported to President Nursultan Nazarbayev on Feb. 4 on his ministry’s work results for 2013 and on the implementation of the State Programme of Accelerated Industrial and Innovative Development (SPAIID) and projects part of the Industrialisation Map, as well as plans for this year. Issekeshev discussed the growth of basic industrial sectors, the implementation of branch programmes and key measures for supportingbusiness as part of industrialisation efforts. The President stressed the need for the further development of industry, electricity infrastructure, special economic zones and attracting investments from abroad. Nazarbayev underlined the importance of quality in projects part of the second five-year phase of SPAIID for 2015-2019, given its importance to innovation.
