A 60-hectare wholesale distribution centre for agricultural trade will be built in Karaganda, connecting the northern and southern parts of the country, reports the regional press service. The construction of the first stage will cost 10.5 billion tenge (US$27 million). Covered pavilions with heating ventilation and air conditioning will accommodate up to 164 trucks at the same time. Storage terminals, climate and dry warehouses and chambers with different temperature controls have already been built. A customs zone and hotel will also be located in the area. “We are using the latest technologies of warehouse logistics and online operations. The initial stage will be completed this summer. The second stage will be the processing of agricultural products,” said Deputy Akim (Governor) of Karaganda Region Almas Aidarov.
The Turkestan region’s maternal mortality rate decreased by 35.9 percent compared with 2017. The mortality rate has decreased by 4.3 percent. Some 8.1 billion tenge (US$21 million) was allocated for the material and technical equipment of medical organisations. The equipment index increased 1.5 times compared to last year and reached 65.75 percent. It is planned to build a regional multi-field hospital accommodating 610 patients, a tuberculosis centre and an oncological centre, among other medical facilities, in Turkestan. “Approximately 2 million e-health passports were created, 19,220 healthcare workers took part in training on medical information systems and 441,717 people use mobile apps. Twenty digital emergency offices were opened at hospitals,” said head of the regional healthcare department Mukan Yegizbayev.
Kazhydromet reports that the country observed the coldest winter in the last seven years. “The cold anomalies reached almost all regions. The temperature dropped to minus 45 degrees Celsius at night in the eastern, central and northern regions starting from Feb 4. The temperature reached minus 30 in the south. The cyclone also brought snowfall, blizzards, fog and ice. Taking into account the increase in wind and humidity, the temperature seemed much lower. Last year, January, with a minus 38 degrees was the coldest month,” said Kazhydromet expert Laura Sailybaeva.
Kazakhstan will produce 250 imported industrial goods, according to Kazinform. “The government has allocated 600 billion tenge (US$1.5 billion) and 400 billion tenge (US$1 billion) of these will be directed to the manufacturing industry to produce about 250 industrial goods that are used daily nationwide. The financing will reduce the share of imports up to 50 percent in the coming years. It is planned to stimulate the production of fabrics, shoes, fertilisers, paints, windows, doors and other furniture,” said Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development Zhenis Kassymbek.
Twenty-five industrial-innovative projects are being implemented in the Kyzylorda region, Kazinform reports. “Seven projects have already been completed, including the Shapagat house-building plant, a feed factory, two AralTuz Spanish workshops, and facing brick and asphalt concrete plants in the Aral district. Last year, a lime plant with a capacity of 75,000 tonnes per year started production in the Zhanakorgan district. The first cement plant in the region also produces 11,000 tonnes of clinker, the main component of cement. The goods of the plant are widely used not only in construction, but also in the oil and gas and nuclear industries,” said head of the regional Department for Industrial and Innovative Development Rinat Sultangereyev.
This year, 13.5 million tonnes of oil will be produced at the Kashagan field, Vlast.kz reported. “Kashagan reached stable production of 330,000 barrels per day. Mining expansion projects are continuing. We expect that the operator will continue project optimisation to increase the gas injection for a production level of 450,000 barrels per day. We also need to finalise the concept of further expansion with the operator,” Minister of Energy Kanat Bozumbayev said on the issue. Three major fields – Kashagan, Tengiz and Karachaganak – are expected to be overhauled this spring. The National Bank of Kazakhstan reduced the production forecast from 93 million to 91 million tonnes for 2019.
