Kazakhstan's Shymkent to build new industrial zone for metallurgical firms

Photo: Government of Kazakhstan

BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 22. A new industrial zone, Temir, will be built in Shymkent to host metallurgical enterprises, First Deputy Akim of Shymkent Aidyn Karimov said within the framework of Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov’s working trip to the city, according to the press service of the Kazakh government.

According to him, existing industrial zones are 90% full, while investor interest in new sites continues to grow.

“Today, Shymkent has eight industrial zones with a total area of 1,530 hectares, provided with the necessary infrastructure. A total of 354 investment projects have been implemented on their territory, and about 11,000 jobs have been created. Tax revenues exceeded 114 billion tenge (about $254 million). Given the high occupancy of existing sites, we have started expanding four industrial zones and creating the new Temir zone,” Karimov said.

Each industrial site is developed with its sectoral specialization in mind. The Ontustik special economic zone focuses on light, chemical and petrochemical industries, as well as certain areas of mechanical engineering. The Bozaryk industrial zone is intended mainly for food production, while the transport and logistics center is meant for warehousing and transport activities. Enterprises of various manufacturing sectors are located in the Zhuldyz, Tassay and Ontustik industrial zones. The new Temir zone will focus on metallurgical enterprises.

As reported, in the nine months of this year, Shymkent’s manufacturing industry grew by more than 12%. The city accounts for 100% of Kazakhstan’s production of carpets and carpet products, as well as aluminum cans. Its share in pharmaceutical output exceeds 40%.

The expansion of industrial zones is expected to help attract new investment, increase production volumes, and create additional jobs.