The World Bank is ready to invest in the Almaty region
Akim of Almaty region Amandyk Batalov received World Bank Resident Representative in Kazakhstan Jean-Francois Marton. During the bilateral meeting, topical issues of cooperation between the Almaty region and the World Bank were discussed, – the press service of the akim of the Almaty region reports.
Greeting the official delegation, Amandyk Batalov spoke about the main sectors of the region’s economy. “In Almaty, 9 out of 16 projects of transnational companies are being implemented in the country. The region is a leader in the agro-industrial complex, in the cultivation of sugar beets, soybeans, and corn. There are large projects for the processing of agricultural products. Great successes in the field of alternative energy.
“We would like to expand the scope of cooperation with you in these industries, as well as in tourism, housing and communal services, in particular in matters of gasification, street lighting, reconstruction of sewer networks, as well as in the restoration of irrigation networks. We want to build a CHP in Taldykorgan. This is also an important and necessary project. I think that we will jointly define specific directions and continue to work productively, especially since we already have such a positive experience, ”said Amandyk Batalov.
In turn, Jean-Francois Marton, Resident Representative of the World Bank in Kazakhstan, thanking for the warm welcome, dwelled on the specifics of the World Bank’s work and the projects implemented with its support in the Almaty region. These include an infrastructure project for the construction of the Almaty-Khorgos road, an energy efficiency project covering 2 schools and a kindergarten, and a youth corps project aimed at involving young people in society and developing their life skills. In order to further expand cooperation, Jean-François Marton noted his readiness to finance projects in the education sector, digitalization, road infrastructure, irrigation and the social sphere in general, especially within the framework of PPP.
– “We are very interested in cooperation within the region. Previously, we worked only through the Government of the country. But now we plan to make changes to the package of documents in order to work directly with regional leaders. In this regard, there is a great desire to cooperate with the akimat of the Almaty region”, – stressed Jean-Francois Marton.
During the meeting, Ekaterina Benjamin, the head of the International Finance Corporation office in Kazakhstan, also announced her desire to cooperate: “We are ready to jointly implement long-term projects that have a positive impact on the socio-economic development of the region, including in the field of waste disposal and irrigation,” she said. Amandyk Batalov stressed the importance of bilateral cooperation, which will contribute to the implementation of many socially significant projects.
– “I am glad to meet today, which will provide an impetus for our cooperation with you. I am sure that its real results will not be long in coming”, – summed up the akim of the Almaty region.
By the way, the investment portfolio of the Almaty region for 2021-2030. is 592 projects with a total cost of more than 5.5 billion tenge and the creation of about 45 thousand jobs. Of these, 66 projects worth 112.8 billion tenge and the creation of 3,500 jobs are being implemented this year, including 41 projects in the agricultural sector, 11 in the manufacturing industry, 4 in renewable energy and others.