ASTANA, Kazakhstan, June 18. Kazakhstan is stepping up efforts to attract investors and create jobs in its 20 single-industry towns, said Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov at a republican seminar in the Karaganda region, Trend reports.
The government unveiled a new classification system based on 78 socio-economic indicators to tailor support measures such as infrastructure modernization, development of industrial zones, and diversification into IT, agro-industry, tourism, and science.
Highlighting Ekibastuz as a success story, Bektenov noted the launch of a $267 million ferroalloy plant creating more than 800 jobs and transforming the city into a multi-industry hub.
“We must see these towns as platforms for green technologies, digital infrastructure, and creative economies. Diversification is key to their sustainable growth,” the Prime Minister said.
To accelerate this process, local authorities were ordered to establish industrial zones in Balkhash, Kulsary, Satpayev, and Khromtau by December 1. Ministries and regional akimats were also tasked with identifying sites for small industrial zones and expanding long-term offtake contracts to ensure steady production.
At the moment the single-industry towns house around 1.5 million people and contribute over a third of the Kazakhstan'’s industrial output.