ASTANA, Kazakhstan, December 14. The European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) intends to provide additional loans for 8 sewage treatment projects in Kazakhstan, Trend reports.
This topic was discussed during a meeting between Minister of Industry and Construction of Kazakhstan, Kanat Sharlapayev, and representatives of the EBRD.
Today, 27 out of 89 cities in Kazakhstan do not have sewage treatment facilities. At the same time, in 42 cities, the deterioration of facilities exceeds 60 percent.
The construction and reconstruction of sewage treatment facilities in 69 cities will be financed through various sources, including 4 projects (Aktobe, Karaganda, Taraz and Ridder) that will be implemented using EBRD borrowings in national currency.
The loan repayment period will be 15 years, with a 3-year grace period for the construction/reconstruction of the sewage treatment facilities.
Loan repayment is planned due to the annual increase in tariffs and subsidies from local and republican budgets.
Meanwhile, the EBRD's current project portfolio in Kazakhstan reaches 2.8 billion euros as of October 31, 2023, based on the implementation of 114 active portfolio projects.
Investments in sustainable infrastructure projects account for 70 percent of the overall portfolio (1.97 billion euros). The industry, commerce, and agribusiness sectors also benefit significantly from EBRD's investments, with projects worth approximately 689 million euros making up around 24 percent of the portfolio.
Furthermore, the EBRD's support for the financial sector of Kazakhstan, with investments in financial institutions comprising 5 percent of the portfolio, amounts to 148 million euros.