Astana, Kazakhstan, Dec.26
By Daniyar Mukhtarov - Trend:
Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev named priority projects to strengthen the country's economy, giving speech Dec.25 during a national teleconference bridge.
"During the visit of prime minister of China, we agreed to set up several tens of new processing enterprises," said Nursultan Nazarbayev. "I think that we must build the second phase of an aluminum plant in Pavlodar, increasing its capacity from 250,000 metric tons to 500,000 metric tons, the new plant for the production of quality steel in the city of Rudniy of Kostanay region, so that we wouldn't have to take away our own ore for export, but produce the metal from it right on the spot."
The president also reiterated the need for the construction of a new refinery. Presently, there are three major refineries operating in Kazakhstan.
"Probably, it is necessary to construct several large enterprises of oil and gas field," said Nazarbayev. "Of course, they are expensive... worth $6-$8 billion, but they produce the entire line of output, starting from propylene to clothing and medicines."
It is necessary to build a new copper smelting combine in Kazakhstan with a full cycle of production of cable output for its export to other countries, according to the president.
"I set the government a task to attract at least five largest corporations for the construction of five new processing plants," he said.