Kazakhstan, Astana, 17 April / Trend D.Mukhtarov /
Kazakhstan is still a major importer of machinery, the Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Industry and New Technologies of Kazakhstan Asset Isekeshev said at the first Forum of Mechanical Engineers of Kazakhstan.
"With the huge potential of producing products with high added value, Kazakhstan remains a major importer of machinery," Isekeshev said.
According to him, engineering goods amount to $17.8 billion, or 40 percent of the country's total imports.
"The volume of domestic production has only recently exceeded $4 billion", the Deputy Prime Minister said.
According to him, given Kazakhstan's conditions, one can talk about long-term demand for engineering products for the oil and gas, mining and metals, energy and agricultural sectors.
"In addition to traditional exports of transformers and capacitors, oil and gas valves, accumulators, we develop new export routes and new types of products. We have adjusted industrial supply of batteries in China, commercial vehicles, X-ray equipment, water meters, electricity and household and electrical products to the countries of the Customs Union," Isekeshev said.
According to the Ministry, during the implementation of the state program of forced industrial-innovative development, production volume of machinery has more than doubled - from three hundred to 657 billion tenge. It is planned that the volume of production will exceed one trillion tenge by 2015.
High growth and development of the industry has been observed during the first quarter of this year as well (a 121.3 percent increase).
Production of electronic and optical products grew by 15 percent, and production of vehicles almost doubled (up 196 percent).