On Friday, October 6, Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Alikhan Smailov held a meeting in Ust-Kamenogorsk on further socio-economic development of the East Kazakhstan region, reports DKNews.kz
Akim of the region Yermek Kosherbayev informed the participants in detail about the current situation and the ongoing work on the development of the region. Representatives of central government agencies made reports on the measures taken in industry, construction, housing and communal services, agriculture and healthcare. In addition, reports are presented on the development of gas, heat and electricity supply systems, as well as stabilization of food prices.
The Prime Minister stressed that the development of the East Kazakhstan Region’s economy is primarily connected with the mining industry, while there is also great potential in the fields of energy, agriculture, logistics and tourism.
Thus, the mining and metallurgical complex accounts for about 70% of the entire industry in the region. As the Head of State noted in his Address to the people, the republic will have to modernize the management system of the mining sector as soon as possible. One of the priority tasks in this case should be the development of deposits of rare and rare earth metals.
“In the context of the growth of electric vehicle production, the exploration and production of lithium metal are relevant. There are 6 deposits on the state balance of East Kazakhstan region in the Ulansky and Shemonaikhinsky districts and the outskirts of Ust-Kamenogorsk. There are even more undiscovered reserves. Nearby there are Chinese and other Asian markets, which are among its main consumers. To use these opportunities, the Akimat should actively attract investors in the development of deposits” Alikhan Smailov
He noted that the region has developed hydropower, which is one of the renewable energy sources. At the same time, since July 1 of this year, the maximum auction prices for the purchase of electricity from hydroelectric power plants have been significantly increased. In this regard, the Prime Minister pointed out that in order to increase the maneuverable capacity in the energy system, the akimat, together with the owners, needs to take measures to modernize existing hydroelectric power plants, as well as the construction of new facilities.
“In order to meet local electricity consumption and reduce the costs of losses on transmission lines, it is necessary to actively implement projects for the construction of small hydroelectric power plants, following the example of Turgusun-1 in the Altai region” Alikhan Smailov
As the Prime Minister noted, the Government annually allocates significant funding to support domestic agricultural producers. 43 billion tenge has been allocated from the budget for the region’s agrarians alone this year, including 26 billion tenge in the form of subsidies.
“We will continue to assist in the implementation of agricultural projects. However, I would like to note that budget funds should be used as efficiently as possible. Priority should be given to projects with the best impact” Alikhan Smailov
In particular, it is necessary to intensify work with entrepreneurs on the implementation of a comprehensive plan for the construction and modernization of vegetable storages.
“Currently, we have an investment subsidy of up to 50% for the construction of such storage facilities. That is, significant support measures are being provided to this area by the state. It is necessary to pay attention to this and strengthen coordination work” Alikhan Smailov
The Prime Minister also focused on the issue of regional hydraulic structures. 40% of the republic’s reservoirs are concentrated in East Kazakhstan region and there are 85 thousand hectares of irrigated land. At the same time, the unsatisfactory technical condition of the Udeninsky, Kandysu and Orta-Terektinsky reservoirs, which provide water supply to the fields of agricultural formations, raises concerns.
“Akimat together with the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation needs to accelerate the development of technical documentation for their reconstruction” Alikhan Smailov
At the same time, the Prime Minister stressed that the favorable geographical location of the region contributes to the development of transport and logistics routes. Thus, projects for the reconstruction of the Taldykorgan — Kalbatau — Ust-Kamenogorsk highways with a length of 768 km and Maykapchagai — Kalbatau with a length of 415 km are already being implemented. In the future, it is planned to reconstruct the routes “Ust-Kamenogorsk — Semey” with a length of 195 km and “Ust-Kamenogorsk — the border of the Russian Federation” with a length of 130 km.
Alikhan Smailov also focused on the issues of the passage of the heating season. He recalled that the Government had taken prompt measures to allocate funds for the repair and modernization of local heat sources and heating networks.
Turning to the issue of tourism development, Alikhan Smailov spoke about the world—class attraction – the Katon-Karagai National Natural Park.
“The object is included in the UNESCO World Heritage List. At the same time, the existing guest infrastructure cannot fully provide the necessary level of service” Alikhan Smailov
According to him, there are problems with transport accessibility. In particular, it is required to complete the reconstruction of the Ust-Kamenogorsk — Rakhmanov Keys highway. In addition, to increase the flow of tourists, it is necessary to complete the repair of the Ust-Kamenogorsk — Almaty highway with a length of 1013 km.
In conclusion, the Prime Minister noted the need to accelerate the implementation of a number of protracted projects. These include the launch of a specialized Public service center and the construction of a bridge crossing over the Bukhtarma reservoir.
A source: https://e-cis.info/news/567/112642/
