The economic map has been drawn up in Kyzylorda region, Gulshara Abdykalikova, the region’s governor, has announced.
The region’s governor underscored the impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic on the economy, pointing to the decreasing prices for oil and other natural resources. The Kyzylorda region’s economy is dependent on oil and uranium extraction, which has seen decline in recent years. Thus, the region produced 5.6 million tons of oil last year almost half less than in 2011 – 11 million tons. While this year oil production is expected to stand at 4.2 million tons. The governor emphasized the importance of investments to boost other decreasing figures the region has been observing. This year’s investments are to total KZT 230 billion less than the figures for the past year, which, according to her, is due to a number of objective factors, including the major national projects implemented last year in the region. Those projects include the Saryarka pipeline, two gas stations and a solar power station.
In her words, the pandemic helped reveal a range of economic issues facing the region. In the interview, she said that the region imports 70 kinds of food commodities as well as 35 non-food ones. Thus, to deal with the issues, the economic map of the region has been drawn up, consisting of 265 projects aimed to attract investments worth KZT 271 billion. The governor pointed to the necessity to develop food industry in the region as the region has failed to provide for food needs of the citizens during the pandemic. (Kazinform/Business World Magazine)
