Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct. 31
By Nigar Guliyeva – Trend:
Three industrial zones will be created on the territory of the Astana agglomeration of Kazakhstan by 2030, Kazakh Minister for Investments and Development Zhenis Kasymbek said at a government meeting Oct.31.
The Astana agglomeration covers the territory of Astana city (the core of the agglomeration), 3 districts (Arshaly, Tselinograd and Shortandinsk) and 4 areas of Akkol district.
He said that by 2030, it is proposed to remove large industrial facilities from Astana to the agglomeration territory by creating three industrial zones, while newly-created industrial enterprises will also be located in industrial zones.
It is planned to establish the first industrial zone in Arshaly (Arshaly district), which has an advantageous economic and geographical position on the development axis of Astana-Temirtau-Karaganda. The second industrial zone will be located in Tonkeris (Shortandinsk district), located on the high-speed international highway, as well as on the railway tracks.
The third industrial zone is planned to be located in Zhaynak (Tselinograd region) due to the available infrastructure, in particular the existing electrical substation.
The total area of the Astana agglomeration is 21,770 square km, including the city itself - 800 square km. Out of the total area of the Astana agglomeration - 7,500 square km was allocated for intensive development, where the industrial zones will be created.
In total, 124 settlements were included in the agglomeration area. The population of the agglomeration is 1.2 million people in 2016 and will increase to 1.6 million people by 2030 (33%).
The goal of the development of agglomerations in Kazakhstan is to form long-term growth centers integrated with global and regional markets.
To determine the agglomeration potential of cities, the Ministry of Economic Development and Trade applied the following criteria: demographic capacity, logistical and economic potential, and administrative status of the core city.
Based on these criteria, agglomeration of two levels was singled out in Kazakhstan. The first are cities with the greatest potential: Astana, Almaty and Shymkent, while the second are Aktobe and Aktau.