Future of inefficient Kazakhstan's free economic zones to be decided

The future of ineffective free economic zones in Kazakhstan will be decided upon by the end of this year, First-Vice-Minister of Industry and New Technologies of Kazakhstan Albert Rau told Tengrinews. "Jurong company of Singapore is currently analyzing efficiency of all the 10 free economic zones. We will get the whole picture and make recommendations by the end of the year. In case the evaluations show negative results it may be that a radical decision - to shutdown - will be made," Rau said. Jurong International helps its customers mastermind their township dreams, realize economic zones, bioscience facilities, marine and infrastructure developments, residential and recreational amenities. According to Rau, Jurong will take some of the zones under its control after the audit is completed. "They manage projects very knowledgeably, organizing trainings of local professionals," he said. "We are considering this option first of all for high-tech zones, such as chemical ones," he expanded. President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev assigned Prime-Minister Serik Akhmetov to make an analysis of all the free economic zones of Kazakhstan and to liquidate those of them are not operating properly at the recent extended session of the government. During the session it was mentioned that virtually every region of Kazakhstan had free economic zones that did not produce good results: only 3 projects had been implemented at the free economic zone in Atyrau oblast, none at all in Almaty and Pavlodar oblasts. There are 10 free economic zones in Kazakhstan. They represent 3 groups. The first one includes industrial and manufacturing zones - Aktau Sea Port, Ontustik, National Industrial Petrochemical Technopark, Astana - New City (industrial subzone), Saryarka, Pavlodar, Khorgos - Eastern Gates and Taraz Chemical Park. The second group includes zones focused on services: Burabai and Astana - New City (construction subzone). The third group includes only one zone called the Park of Innovative Technologies. By Altynai Zhumzhumina