Flood preparation: Kazakhstan reduces water volumes in key reservoirs
Images | Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan
The Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation is preparing for the flood period. As of today, the necessary reservoirs are being released, primeminister.kz reports.
According to the Ministry, the volume of water in the Astana reservoir has been reduced to 83%: from 20 December 2024 to 3 January 2025, almost 5.1 million m3 of water was released from the reservoir. By 1 April 2025, the Ministry plans to reduce the volume of water in the reservoir to 300 million m3, or 73%.
About 51 million m3 of water remains in the Aktobe reservoir. It is planned to reduce this volume to 47.3 million m3 by 1 April. The volume of water in Bitik reservoir in West Kazakhstan province has been reduced to 34.4 million m3. Today, 8.3 m3 of water per second is discharged from the reservoir.
Bukhtarma reservoir in East Kazakhstan region is filled by 79 per cent. By 1 April, the Ministry intends to reduce its water volume by another 8%. In Yntymak reservoir in Karaganda province 69 million m3 of water has been collected. It is planned to release the reservoir up to 39% to receive flood waters in spring.
The volume of water in the Kengir reservoir in the Ulytau region has decreased to 86%. It is planned to release about 11% more before spring. The Upper Tobolsk reservoir in Kostanay region has collected 585.4 million m3 of water. According to the reservoir's operation regime, the water volume is expected to drop to 499.4 million m3, or 61%, by 1 April.
In spring it is very important not only to collect flood waters in reservoirs, but also to direct them to lake systems, natural pastures and meadows. Therefore, it is necessary to plan in advance for competent water allocation. This year the demands of agrarians and other water users were fully satisfied. During the past irrigation period, about 11 billion m3 of water was supplied to the country's farms. In addition, much work has been done to preserve and restore large and small reservoirs," the Minister of Water Resources and Irrigation Nurzhan Nurzhigitov noted.
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President tasks to enhance diversification of East Kazakhstan region’s economy
Images | Akorda
Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has received today the governor of the East Kazakhstan region, Nurymbet Saktaganov, Kazinform News Agency learned from the Akorda press service.
According to the governor, over 400,000 square meters of housing were commissioned in the region and 46 new productions facilities were opened.
18 healthcare facilities were opened and another six were overhauled under the "Rural Healthcare Modernization" national project.
Five schools were commissioned under the Comfortable School national project, with seven more to be built to address the shortage of school places.
Together with the Otbasy Bank a regional preferential mortgage program has been launched to support the representatives of working professions.
By the end of 2026, the region plans to completely solve the problem of drinking water. Eight water supply projects worth 14 billion tenge will be implemented for this purpose.
In the nearest two years, local authorities plan to attract at least 1.5 trillion tenge of investment, to build 700 thousand square meters of housing, 28 social facilities and repair more than 600 kilometers of roads.
The President set a task to enhance the work in diversification of the region’s economy, expand the export of processed products and attract investment.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev highlighted that priority attention should be given to tackling ecological problems and improvement of transport infrastructure.
Earlier, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev set a number of tasks to Ulytau region's governor Dastan Ryspekov, regarding transport and logistics capacity expansion, infrastructure modernization, quality provision of medical services, ensuring the safety of people's drinking water and addressing environmental issues.
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Construction of 13 thousand km of motorways planned in Kazakhstan
During the Government session, Transport Minister Marat Karabayev made a report on plans for the development of the road sector, primeminister.kz reports.
He noted that last year 12 thousand km of motorways were covered by repair works.
This year construction works are planned above the level of last year, it is 13 thousand kilometres. Of these, projects on 9.5 thousand kilometres are fully funded," Karabayev reported.
It was noted that for the remaining 3.6 thousand kilometres the issue of financing is being worked out with international financial institutions. These are new projects Zhezkazgan - Karaganda, Aktobe - Ulgaisyn, Atyrau - Dossor, bypasses of the cities of Saryagash, Rudny and Kyzylorda, as well as repair work on roads with a total length of 3.6 thousand km.
Currently, an agreement has been reached with IFIs to finance these projects. By the decision of the Coordinating Council for each project sources of financing have been identified, feasibility studies have been developed, tender procedures are being conducted to identify contractors under the terms of IFIs.
According to the Minister, in order to attract domestic companies to carry out construction works, the IFIs have revised the competitive conditions with the provision of preferences to our companies when participating in tenders. The measures taken allowed to increase the number of domestic companies participating in tenders. For example, for the project ‘Karaganda-Zhezkazgan’ the number of participating companies has reached 10, while before the change of conditions this number was no more than two. Contracting organisations will be identified for all the above projects in the second quarter of this year.
The second direction is infrastructure projects in the railway industry. Construction and repair works are planned for 5,000 kilometres of roads this year, of which 2.4,000 kilometres are financed. The remaining 2.6 thousand kilometres are planned as part of the implementation of the Head of State's instruction to develop the Trans-Kazakhstan railway corridor, given at an extended Government session.
In this regard, the following new projects will be implemented:
- Construction of a new line Kyzylzhar - Moyinty;
- Modernisation of the Altynkol - Zhetygen section with construction of double-track inserts and Beineu - Mangystau section with construction and extension of receiving and delivery tracks;
- Introduction of modern autoblocking systems on the Kyzylzhar - Saksaulskaya, Shalkar - Beineu, Kandyagash - Tobol, Alimbet - Nickeltau and Aksu - Degelen - Zhana-Semey sections;
- As well as the reconstruction of 53 railway stations.
Currently, the minister said, negotiations with international financial institutions are being held to secure financing for these projects.
In general, the implementation of these projects will achieve a total multiplier effect over 20 years in the form of tax revenues and other payments at the level of 11 trillion tenge. Implementation of the projects will provide contribution to GDP growth at the level of about 0.4%-1% in the period of 2025-2029," Karabayev said.
For all projects in April this year it is planned to start construction and installation work. The Minister dwelt separately on the reconstruction of railway stations. According to him, 5 railway stations have been reconstructed to date. By the end of the current year will be carried out repair of 53 more railway stations, including those for tourist destinations. Repair of the railway station area will be provided by local executive bodies in parallel.
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Early financing of spring field work: more than 1.8 thousand agricultural enterprises receive funds for 206 billion tenge
Images | Depositphotos
Minister of Agriculture Aidarbek Saparov reported at the Government session on the results of new approaches to financing the agro-industrial complex and plans to work in this direction, primeminister.kz reports.
He noted that in 2024, the introduction of favourable credit products at 5% per annum allowed farmers for the first time to get the opportunity to purchase in full the necessary inventory, as well as to lease a sufficient amount of agricultural machinery.
As a result, the area covered was 5.8 million hectares or 25 per cent of the total sown area, and 4.3 thousand units of Kazakhstan-made agricultural machinery were purchased.
By guaranteeing 85 per cent of the loan amount for IDA, access to concessional lending for small and medium-sized farmers with insufficient collateral was expanded. The launch of a programme of preferential lending to processing plants to replenish working capital for a total of 35 billion tenge was carried out.
This year the work in all these areas will be strengthened. Thus, the volume of preferential lending to the WPR will amount to 700 billion tenge. Taking into account the early financing of the sowing season of the current year, which started in November last year, today more than 1.8 thousand agricultural enterprises have already been financed for 206 billion tenge. This year it is planned to provide coverage of at least 8 million hectares of sown areas," Aidarbek Saparov said.
The Minister added that the organisation of preferential leasing to the amount of 200 billion tenge will allow to purchase 6 thousand units of agricultural machinery of domestic production.
It was also noted that an important factor in the availability of credit was the connection in 2024 SPK to the financing of the WPR.
Last year, 7 SPK attended this programme. Today, only 4 SPKs are actively participating in the programme. In this regard, we ask to instruct regional akimats to strengthen the work on financing of agrarians through SPKs," Aidarbek Saparov emphasised.
According to the department, direct subsidising of financial institutions will be introduced to expand the financing of the agro-industrial complex: 48 billion tenge will be allocated this year through ACC to support processing enterprises for the purchase of working capital.
It is also planned to launch a preferential product in the amount of 50 billion tenge to replenish working capital for livestock breeding, similar to the UDP.
In conclusion, the Minister of Agriculture stressed that a multiple increase in concessional financing of WPR allowed to exclude subsidising interest rates. This will allow a phased transition from subsidies to concessional lending and reduce the burden on the local budget.
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New head of International Information Committee at Kazakh MFA named
Images | Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan
Aibek Smadiyarov has been appointed as the Chairman of the Committee for International Information- the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan, Kazinform News Agency reports.
Aibek Smadiyarov was born on July 7, 1983, in the South Kazakhstan region. He graduated from the Kazakh Ablai Khan University of International Relations and World Languages in 2004.
He began his career in 2005 as a specialist in the administrative department of the Bank of China in Kazakhstan.
From 2006 to 2008, he worked as a specialist in the Consular Service Department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan. From 2008 till 2010, he held the posts of Attaché and Third Secretary in the Ministry's European Department.
In 2010 - 2012, he served as the Third Secretary at the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Hungary. In 2012 - 2013, he worked as an expert in the press service of the President of Kazakhstan. Subsequently, from 2013 to 2014, he was the First Secretary of the Committee for Foreign Policy Analysis and Forecasting at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
From 2014 to 2018, he served as the Second and then First Secretary at the Embassy of Kazakhstan in Vietnam.
Between 2018 and 2019, he helmed the press service of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. From 2019 to 2023, he was the Deputy Chairman of the Committee for International Information and the Press Secretary of the Ministry.
Before the appointment as the Chairman of the Committee for International Information, he served as the Director of the Communications Department and Official Spokesperson of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Kazakhstan from June 2023.
He holds the diplomatic rank of Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary Envoy of II Class.
He is fluent in Kazakh, Russian, English, and Turkish.
As reported earlier, a new Vice Minister of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan was appointed.
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Tokayev instructs to boost standard of living for residents of Turkistan region
Images | Akorda
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held a meeting on Tuesday with governor of Turkistan region Nuralkhan Kusherov, Kazinform News Agency cites the Akorda press service.
The Kazakh President was briefed about the outcomes of the social and economic development of the region for the past year as well as the plans for the upcoming period.
Tokayev was informed that the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) approved funding of 24 projects worth 135.5 billion tenge to restore irrigation facilities in the region. Construction of Baidibek ata reservoir is underway to ensure sustainable supply of water in Turkistan and six surrounding areas as well as the project of Boraldai reservoir is under development.
According to Kusherov, a focus is placed on cotton, corn and meat clusters, as five projects worth 197 billion tenge are slated for realization in the cotton-textile sector. The region has begun constructing a starch and molasses plant as well as implements the best practices to promote livestock farming.
Six projects with a capacity of 2.4GW are slated for realization to address a shortage of electricity in the region.
As Kusherov informed, this year, the region plans to construction 32 schools, carry out major repairs at 41 schools, commission 32 primary health care facilities as well as supply natural gas to 45 settlements.
Following the meeting, President Tokayev instructed the governor to maintain close interaction with the government to ensure quality implementation of the tasks set by the recently signed law granting a special status to Turkistan region.
Tokayev also set a number of tasks aimed at improving the standard of living of citizens, promoting tourism, agriculture, small-sized business and providing settlements with drinking water.
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