Astana, Kazakhstan, March 27
By Daniyar Mukhtarov - Trend:
Development of such a megalopolis as Almaty, would always be a priority for the state, Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said during a meeting dedicated to further development of the city, the Acorda press service reported on March 27.
"Almaty is the largest megalopolis in the country and its development should keep pace with Astana. This means such a metropolis is the development point of science, innovation and education," Nazarbayev said.
Almaty preserves its leading role in the field of the economy, small and medium-sized businesses and town planning, according to the President.
He also noted that with the city's increasing population which has now reached 1.5 million people, it is necessary to think about the environmental cleanliness.
"The number of cars is increasing which requires new approaches to the organisation of transport. Large scale interchanges have been built in recent years and the traffic conditions improved significantly. Furthermore, complex and topical issues of the city's development include the sphere of education and science and the creation of new tourist and cultural facilities. The main focus of our work is to improve the welfare of the population, "the head of state said.
The Kazakh President drew attention to the need for a better world experience in traffic management, as well as the observance of architectural requirements. In particular, the need was noted for the perseverance of aesthetic attractiveness and the carrying out of architectural calculations based on the seismic characteristics of the city.
The president issued instructions to provide a safe environment for the city's residents and guests. Emphasis was paid to road traffic accidents, the number of which have grown threefold and reached 7000.
Given the multi-ethnic city, the Kazakh President noted the importance of attention being given to the work of the Assembly of People of Kazakhstan.
"Almaty takes a special place in all our programmes. It is the cradle of our independence. I think, the fact that Almaty has a competitor in the face of Astana, is a positive factor," Nazarbayev said.
The city makes a great contribution to the state budget, while at the same time the state invests heavily in the construction of various facilities and infrastructure, according to the president.
"The city has great prospects and potential and it is necessary to implement them. I am confident that it will further continue to develop, remaining as the key megalopolis," Nazarbayev said.
In his speech, Almaty Mayor Akhmetzhan Yessimov pointed out that growth is being observed in the spheres of industry, transport, trade and in the services sector.
"Over the past five years, the gross regional product has doubled reaching 6.4 trillion tenge which is about $27, 000 per capita. Tax revenues amounted to 1.36 trillion tenge which is 13 percent more compared to 2012," he said.
Yessimov said that three prospective spheres of the city development had been defined. These include a free economic zone in the Park of Innovative Technologies, an industrial zone in the Alatau district and the development of tourism.
The city's mayor stressed that the instruction to improve the city's ecology and decrease the atmospheric pollution is under special control.
The construction of the subway is continuing and two new stations will be added this year. Six interchanges were commissioned in 2013 and three more will be constructed this year. Also preparation of design estimates for four other interchanges will be completed, he said.
Active preparation is being conducted for Universiade 2017 in the city, Yessiomv said noting that this year will see the beginning of the construction of the Ice Palace.
The mayor also noted that an application had been submitted to host the Winter Olympics in 2022 in Almaty.
"Our city has a real chance to host it thanks to the stability of the state and economic development," he said.
Translated by S.I.
Edited by S.M.