Kazakh PM orders creation of five cross-border hubsPrime Minister Olzhas Bektenov has instructed the government to accelerate work on establishing five cross-border hubs, an Interfax-Kazakhstan correspondent reported from a cabinet meeting on Tuesday.“It is necessary to step up the pace of work and significantly improve coordination among all participants in the process,” Bektenov said.He stressed that, if implemented systematically, the hubs could become major magnets for investment and new production facilities.“It is important that these hubs host not only logistics, warehousing and transshipment operations, but also real production facilities and new jobs,” the prime minister said.Bektenov tasked the Ministry of Industry, relevant government bodies and local administrations with preparing by December 20 a concept for establishing a special economic zone (SEZ) at the Industrial Trade and Logistics Complex on the border with Kyrgyzstan and at the Eurasia Cross-Border Trade Center on the border with Russia.Trade and Integration Minister Arman Shakkaliyev said the launch of the five hubs would significantly accelerate trade with neighboring states, boost non-resource exports by 30% and improve logistics conditions for Kazakh companies.A Central Asia International Industrial Cooperation Center is under development on the border with Uzbekistan, which is expected to help raise bilateral trade to $10 billion.In eastern Kazakhstan, work continues on the Khorgos hub, which includes the Khorgos International Center for Cross-Border Cooperation SEZ and the Khorgos–Eastern Gate. To expand capacity with China, the SkyHansa international airport and new logistics complexes are being built in the area.At the same time, Shakkaliyev said the Caspian hub is developing, with construction of a container hub and the Sarzha multifunctional terminal under way at the ports of Aktau and Kuryk.In the West Kazakhstan region, the Eurasia Cross-Border Trade Center is being developed to support exports to Russia, while in the Zhambyl region an industrial, trade and logistics complex is being set up along the Western Europe–Western China corridor to process and distribute cargo flows on the border with Kyrgyzstan. (ICE ALMATY)

Fonte notizia: INTERFAX