Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov chaired a meeting on the implementation of the Head of State’s instructions regarding the development of the country’s transit and transport potential.

Reports were delivered by Minister of Transport Nurlan Sauranbayev and Chairman of the Board of JSC “NC “Kazakhstan Temir Zholy” Talgat Aldybergenov. Particular attention was paid to the quality and timelines for fulfilling the tasks set for infrastructure modernization, introduction of digital solutions, and increasing the sector’s share in the country’s economy.

According to the Ministry of Transport, the gross output in the transport and warehousing sector in 2025 amounted to 12.2 trillion tenge. In January–March of this year, the sector grew by 12.8%.

Road transport carried 353 million tons of cargo within the country last year. In the previous year, work on four major projects was completed: “Kalbatay – Maikapshagay”, “Taldykorgan – Ust-Kamenogorsk”, “Atyrau – Astrakhan”, and “Karaganda – Almaty”, with a total length of 2,000 km. Currently, development of transit corridors is underway, including the routes “Aktobe – Kyzylorda”, “Beyneu – Saksaulskiy”, “Center – West”, “Karaganda – Zhezkazgan”, and the Saryagash bypass. Overall, the annual coverage of road works has been increased to 13,000 km.

As part of the modernization of road checkpoints on the internal borders of the EAEU, work on two facilities was completed last year. Currently, construction is underway at 37 checkpoints, with full completion scheduled for 2027.

The Prime Minister criticized the slow pace of work on modernizing checkpoints, pointing out the lack of proper dynamics. He instructed to accelerate all operational processes.

Within the framework of comprehensive development of transit potential, issues of railway transport development were considered. According to NC “Kazakhstan Temir Zholy”, transit freight volume in 2025 reached 33 million tons, a 20% increase compared to 2024. The share of transit in total freight traffic amounted to 10%. In January–March 2026, transit grew by another 14% — from 8 to 9 million tons, while container traffic increased by 6%.

Special attention was paid to the development of the Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR). Work is underway to reduce delivery times along the TITR, introduce through rates on the “Altynkol – Poti/Batumi” route, and integrate digital systems with partners in Azerbaijan and Georgia.

Large-scale railway infrastructure projects with a total length of 3,900 km are currently being implemented. These include the construction of the “Moyynty – Kyzylzhar” and “Bakhty – Ayagoz” lines, as well as the modernization of sections “Altynkol – Zhetigen”, “Shalkar – Beyneu”, “Beyneu – Mangystau”, and others.

Olzhas Bektenov noted insufficient resource mobilization for the construction of the “Bakhty – Ayagoz” railway line. He emphasized that insufficient provision of equipment and labor is holding back the project. Instructions were given to take appropriate measures.

In addition, to unlock the potential, the need to expand the capacity of interstate junction points to 100 million tons per year was highlighted. This will give impetus to international transportation and simplify border crossing procedures.

The Head of Government also criticized the slow pace of railway station modernization and instructed to complete all construction and installation works this year.

Regarding the development of maritime infrastructure, reports were delivered on work to develop transportation using the ports of Aktau and Kuryk. The importance of carrying out dredging works at the Aktau port this year with a volume of 1.3 million cubic meters was noted.

The Prime Minister drew attention to the delays in the procurement of six container ships for operation on the “Aktau–Baku” route and instructed to accelerate the commissioning of new vessels on this route.

In civil aviation, 20.8 million passengers were transported in 2025, and airports served 31.8 million people, including Astana Airport (9.2 million) and Almaty Airport (12 million). By 2028, 11 infrastructure projects are planned, including 4 new airports, 2 runways, and modernization of existing infrastructure in 5 cities. This year, the international route network is planned to expand to 135 routes to 30 countries (compared to 115 routes in 2024).

The meeting reported that, as a result of measures taken on the President’s instructions, the cost of domestic aviation fuel for Kazakhstani airlines has been reduced. Currently, the price at Kazakh airports is about $800 per ton, making it more attractive compared to neighboring countries. Thanks to the comprehensive measures taken, new foreign airlines have been attracted to Kazakh airports, including Centrum Air (Uzbekistan), Shiraq Avia (Armenia), Martinair (Netherlands), One Air (United Kingdom), Atlas Air (USA), MNG Airlines (Turkey), and others.

Attention was also paid to the plans of the cargo airline JSC “KTZ Air Cargo” to develop its route network. The company aims to enhance the resilience of the country’s transport system.

The Prime Minister pointed out shortcomings in the procurement of small aircraft and instructed to improve financing mechanisms for airlines that need such aircraft.

The meeting also reviewed the digitalization of the sector. Currently, transportation is carried out with 42 countries worldwide, and the number of foreign permit blanks has tripled compared to 2022. The process of issuing them has been transferred to electronic format. The CarGoRuqsat system has been introduced, unlimited exchange with China has been ensured, and 70% of foreign permit blanks have been digitized. In March 2026, a pilot e-Permit was launched with OTS countries, and the implementation of the e-CMR pilot for international transportation began. These measures are aimed at increasing the transparency of procedures, reducing processing times, and lowering administrative costs.

The Head of Government instructed to continue the transition to digital issuance of foreign permit blanks with international partners.

“The President always emphasizes that transit is one of the key competitive advantages of our country. Nevertheless, there are remarks regarding both the completeness and the promptness of the execution of instructions. I will personally monitor the dynamics. Our task is to mobilize efforts in all areas of work,” Olzhas Bektenov emphasized.

 

#Olzhas Bektenov #Logistics #President's instruction #Transport

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