In the difficult years of the economic recession, the Kazakh economy has continued to grow by an average level of 3% per year, having mainly an economy based on exports. Investments in the Kazakh economy have exceeded USD 120 Billion over the past 20 years and the country’s currency reserves have exceeded USD 60 Billion.
The initiators of the Customs Union, Russia, Belarus and Kazakhstan forecast that, financially, it could be more successful than the European Union.
Officially, the Customs Union began operation on 1 January 2012, but full operation will be initiated starting with 2016, the next four years being considered transitional and will be dedicated to the elaboration of all documents that will ensure the common services market, according to the declaration of the General Manager of the Efficient Policy Fund, Kiril Tanaev, quoted by Golos Rosii. Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan have expressed their intention to access the Customs Union and on August 3, 2012, Syria also became interested in accessing the Eurasian Union.
In 2011 alone, the programme for accelerated industrial development and innovation 2011-2014 created over 24,000 new jobs in 152 newly-established undertakings and with an investment in manufacturing economy of over 14% of the GDP.
Overall, 294 industrial projects will be finalized during the programme including transport projects. To this end, the giants of the European railway industry are already developing manufacturing or rolling stock repair plants in Kazakhstan.
“Investments in Kazakhstan railway network, measuring 96,000 km, amount to USD 3.3 Billion every year. Freight transport is a very important point on the agenda of Kazakhstan Railways and our main customer in this particular area of activity is Russia, followed by China”, declared Gaidar Abdikerimov, head of the KTZ division in the European countries of the CIS during the “Moldovan Railway Summit”, organised by Moldovan Railways and Club Feroviar on the 7th and 8th of June in Chisinau. Kazakhstan Railways develops a series of important projects in railway transport. Thus, in 2011 the company finalized the construction of Zhetygen-Khorgos line. The country also plans the implementation of a project on international cross-border cooperation on railways. In 2011 the company also finalized the construction of the 929-km long Uzen – Gorgan line providing access to the Persian Gulf. Two plants for the manufacturing of locomotives have been opened in Astana and in 2012 is expected the finalization of construction works on another locomotive plant, a project developed in partnership with a foreign company.
In 2011, Kazakhstan also finalized the construction of the 929-km long Uzen – Gorgan line providing access to the Persian Gulf. Two plants for the manufacturing of locomotives have been opened in Astana and in 2012, the finalization of construction works on another locomotive plant is expected, a project developed in partnership with a foreign company.
Kazakhstan Railways stress the development of the railway container transport and the development of infrastructure projects that will ensure a strategic position to Kazakhstan in the logistics chain of the Eurasian Platform.
The Association “KAZLOGISTICS” (Kazakhstan Transport and Logistics Association) was created in April, in the context of the task set by the Head of State Nursultan Nazarbayev, on the formation of Kazakhstan in 2016 as a trading, logistics, the business hub of the region. The adopted measure will contribute to balancing the interests of subjects of different modes of transport and improving the quality of multimodal transport and logistics services.
Kazakhstan Temir Zholy, Kazakhstan’s state-operated railways firm, is planning to purchase 19,000 freight cars by 2015 in an effort to modernize and improve the rail network.Moreover, the rapid finalization of the railway construction on Uzen – Gyzylgaya – Bereket – Etrek – Gorgan line (Kazakhstan – Turkmenistan – Iran) is important because it represents the best route for the North-South Corridor, boosting trade and economic relationships between Central Asian states to Middle and Near East.
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