AKIPRESS.COM - Prime Minister of Kazakhstan Askar Mamin held a conference call on attracting investment and removing barriers to investment projects in the fuel and energy complex, as well as in the western regions of the country, his press service reported.

Minister of Energy Kanat Bozumbayev, governor of the Atyrau Region Nurlan Nogaev, Mangystau — Serikbay Trumov, West Kazakhstan — Gali Iskaliyev reported on the work in this direction.

The volume of investments in the fuel and energy complex in the first half of 2019 amounted to 2,561 billion tenge, an increase of 18.6% compared to the same period last year. The expected volume of investments in 2019 is 5,357 billion tenge. At the implementation stage, 75 projects are underway, 68 are under development. To expand the flow of investment in the fuel and energy sector, legislative measures are being taken to improve the tax and customs regimes, as well as stimulate the development of petrochemicals, electric power and renewable energy sources.

The volume of investments in fixed assets of Atyrau region in January-July 2019 amounted to 2,513.9 billion tenge (118.3%, compared with the same period in 2018), Mangistau region — 291.6 billion tenge (83.2%, compared with the same period in 2018), West Kazakhstan region — 278.6 billion tenge, which is 38.3% higher than the 7 months of last year.

“The issue of attracting investment is the key to the development of the economy. Special attention should be paid to the development of the Astana International Financial Center, the implementation of public-private partnership projects, and the attraction of strategic investors,” Mamin said.

The PM ordered the Ministry of Trade and Integration to step up efforts to remove non-physical and physical barriers in the trade of Kazakhstan entrepreneurs with the EAEU countries.