Page 684 – The Times Of Central Asia

18 Jun 2024

Uzbekistan, Uzbekistan Business & Economy, Business & Economy, Uzbekistan International Affairs

China to Invest $1 Billion in Andijan Province of Uzbekistan

June 28, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

China will invest $1 billion in the Andijan region of Uzbekistan to create an enterprise processing the hides and organs of domestic animals. It is reported that the Uzbek delegation, led by the khokim (head) of the Andijan region, visited China, where they familiarized themselves with the activities of Kaifeng Shengmeishun Leather Products company in Kaifeng City, Henan province.

During the visit, the Uzbek delegation held talks with representatives of China’s public and private sectors. The khokim of the Andijan region and the Chairman of the Veterinary Committee of Uzbekistan participated in the discussion.

The main topic of the talks was investment in the hide and organ processing project and the establishment of contacts with leading Chinese institutions in veterinary medicine, cattle breeding, poultry farming, and fishing. They also discussed cooperation in scientific research and the training of Uzbek specialists.

Following the meeting, the Chinese side fully supported investment projects and scientific research in Uzbekistan.

A new project worth $1 billion will be developed in the Andijan region with direct Chinese investment. This year, it plans to invest $100 million and create 3,000 jobs.

18 Jun 2024

Central Asia, Kazakhstan Local Politics, Local Politics, Business & Economy, Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Business & Economy

Kazakhstan in 80th Place in New Global Ranking of Average Wages

May 23, 2025
By Times of Central Asia

In a new ranking of the gross average salary in 196 countries recently published by CEO World Magazine, Kazakhstan is in 80th place. The average wage in the country amounts to $673 per month.

Salaries are highest in the oil-producing western Atyrau and Mangystau regions, followed by the capital city Astana, and business capital Almaty. Wages are lowest in the southern regions of Zhambyl, Zhetysu and Turkestan, as well as in the North Kazakhstan region.

Gross wages are the total sum of wages before taxes and other deductions, such as contributions to pension funds, health insurance, and others.

Kazakhstan has the highest average salaries in Central Asia, followed by Turkmenistan ($654 per month), Uzbekistan ($351), Kyrgyzstan ($228) and Tajikistan ($169).

The CEO World ranking states that in the first quarter of 2024, the average monthly nominal salary of workers in Kazakhstan amounted to 382,000 tenge ($844), which is 12.2% more in value terms than a year earlier. The index of real wages amounted to 102.7%, which shows an increase in purchasing power of 2.7%.

18 Jun 2024

Central Asia, Environment, Home, Business & Economy

Focus on Central Asia’s Acute Shortage of Drinking Water

June 28, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

The Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) has declared water availability a particularly acute challenge in Central Asia, given that 10 million people, or 14% of the region’s population, currently lack access to safe drinking water.

Between 1994 and 2020, water withdrawals for municipal and domestic needs doubled to 8.6 cubic kilometres. However, since investment in drinking water falls short of meeting the growing demand, the infrastructure for the supply and treatment of water has severely deteriorated.

The challenges facing the sector highlight the need for large-scale investment in water supply and sanitation in Central Asia. The annual funding deficit to meet the targets of the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 6 (to ensure the availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all) is estimated to reach US $2 billion by 2025–2030.

In response, EDB analysts have prepared a report to assess the level of investment required by the region to achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goal by 2030, including proposals for practical steps to secure the necessary funding.

Titled “Water and Sanitation in Central Asia”, the report will be launched on 28 June at the Eurasian Development Bank’s Business Forum in Almaty, Kazakhstan.

18 Jun 2024

Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Environment, Kazakhstan International Affairs

Kazakhstan and South Korea Forward Cooperation in Forestry

June 28, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

On June 17, Kazakhstan’s ambassador to South Korea, Nurgali Arystanov, participated in a celebration of the World Day to Combat Desertification and Drought, established by a UN General Assembly resolution in 1994.

Organized in Seoul by the Korea Forest Service, the event was attended by major Korean companies, private and international organizations including the Asian Forest Cooperation Organization (AFoCO), as well as students from ecological clubs promoting anti-desertification activities.

In his speech, reported by Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry, Arystanov noted the successful cooperation between Kazakhstan and the Republic of Korea in the development of forestry, including a joint project to plant saxaul on the desiccated bed of the Aral Sea. He also hailed Astana’s Kazakhstan-Korea Friendship Garden a “symbol of friendship between the Kazakh and Korean peoples.”

The ambassador expressed his appreciation of the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources of Kazakhstan and the Korea Forest Service during Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol’s state visit to Kazakhstan on June 11-13. The document provides for cooperation in combating forest fires and the introduction of advanced technologies for monitoring forests using drones, artificial intelligence, and satellites.

Progress on cooperation in the forestry sector was further discussed by Ambassador Arystanov and the Minister of the Korea Forest Service, Nam Sung-Hyun, during the former’s visit to Seoul.

18 Jun 2024

Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan Life & Culture, Kazakhstan Home

Two City Railway Stations Renovated in Kazakhstan

June 28, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Transport has announced the completion of major renovation of railway stations in the southern city of Shymkent and the northern city of Pavlodar.

Built in the 1960s, Shymkent railway station, used daily by several thousand passengers , had been in need of attention for some 20 years. Following major reconstruction, the building has been furnished with a new and attractive façade, an additional entrance from the city side and another exit from the platform. The number of ticket offices has increased from six to eight and coupled with extensions to the overall area, the station now has the capacity to serve 6 thousand passengers a day.

Renovation of Pavlodar’s forty-year-old station, last repaired in 2004-05, was also completed this year. Lighting, ventilation, water supply and heating systems have been replaced, and both the ticket offices and old stained-glass windows, refurbished. New facilities include a storage room and pharmacy as well as elevators and lifts to aid access for travellers with mobility issues. In addition to a communal waiting room, the station boasts a separate room for women as well as a children’s play area.

In Kazakhstan, a country the size of Western Europe, railways remain an important and relatively cheap mode of transport for both locals and tourists alike.

18 Jun 2024

Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan International Affairs, Kazakhstan Business & Economy

Iran Seeks Observer Status in EEU

June 28, 2024
By Times of Central Asia

A note of Iran’s request to obtain observer state status in the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) was submitted to the Eurasian Economic Commission, the EEU’s governing body, on May 27.

The EEU is an economic integration bloc uniting Armenia, Belarus, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Russia.

According Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Trade and Integration, the economic feasibility of granting such status to Iran is currently being analysed by heads of the EEU member states and following results, consultations will be held with representatives from the republic.

In 2018, the EEU and Iran signed a temporary agreement leading to the formation of a free trade zone between the two parties.

More recently, on December 25, 2023, EEU heads of state signed a Free Trade Agreement between the EEU and its member states, and also, with the Islamic Republic of Iran.

The agreement provides for duty-free trade for about 90% of commodities, which accounts for more than 95% of mutual trade between the parties.

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Trade and Integration emphasized the great potential of furthering trade between Kazakhstan and Iran.

Mutual trade amounted to $302 million last year and in December, an Action Plan was signed between Kazakhstan and Iran to increase trade turnover to $3 billion.