International trucking market in Kazakhstan brings $1 billion per year

The volume of the international trucking market made $1 billion in Kazakhstan in 2011, Tengrinews.kz reports citing editor-in-chief of Kazakhstan International Trucking magazine Lyudmila Shabaldina. According to her, 33.6 percent of the total volume of the market fell on Kazakhstan operators last year, which is only one third. In 2007 the share of national truckers made 45.4 percent. One of the reasons behind the dwindling of Kazakhstan’s share is that foreign operators can freely move goods from the third countries under two-sided permits, re-issuing their trip documents as they go. That’s why Kazakhstan’s budget missed $7 million in taxes in 2010. Besides, the country lost around 2,000 jobs. Shabaldina thinks that solution of these problems lays in acceleration of the agreement between the Customs Union countries on transport control at the external borders. Control over use of two-sided permits has to be strengthened as well. Shabaldina suggests to provide state support for upgrading and renewal of of the vehicles fleet involved in international trucking to increase competitiveness of local players of the market.