Welcoming the participants of the meeting, the President noted that the state policy will continue to be aimed at implementing the principle "Strong regions - a strong country." In this context, he outlined a number of tasks, the solution of which will give a new impetus to the development of the Atyrau region. The first priority in the speech was the diversification of the economy.
“A special economic zone “National Industrial Petrochemical Technopark” has been created in the region. For companies operating within the SEZ, there are tax and customs preferences. In addition, various support tools are provided by the state to attract investment. Other major investment projects are also planned, the implementation of which will contribute to the development of infrastructure, attraction of investments and the introduction of the latest technologies, as well as the creation of several thousand new jobs. These projects are very important for the diversification of the regional economy. The government and the akimat, together with investors, need to ensure their speedy implementation,” the head of state said.
Kassym-Zhomart Tokayev called increasing the capacity of oil storage facilities one of the most urgent tasks, since producers are forced to immediately send raw materials for export, as this is required by technology. In this regard, KazMunayGas was instructed to consider the issue of building a large oil storage facility in the region, taking into account environmental requirements.
“The Department of Energy should negotiate with major mining companies regarding the construction of storage facilities. There are a number of problems in the labor market in the oil sector that need to be addressed urgently. We must not allow the emergence of unemployment in the future. The government needs to keep this important issue under control, actively interacting with major foreign companies. I instruct the Government to immediately begin the implementation of these tasks,” the head of state stressed.
According to Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the development of fisheries is another important task. To date, the region has seen an increase in fish processing and the production of finished products. However, despite the positive dynamics, the further development of the industry requires the adoption of systemic measures.
“First of all, the increase in the population of sturgeon breeds, which are especially valuable on the world market, is of great importance. This year, 8.5 million fry have been released into the Urals. This work needs to be continued. The two state-owned sturgeon hatcheries are run down and have extremely outdated equipment. It is necessary to carry out their modernization in accordance with the requirements of the time. It is also important to attract investments for the construction of new high-tech factories for growing fry.
A big problem is the drop in the water level in the Ural and Kigash rivers. The depth of the mouths of both rivers is now only 30-40 centimeters. This creates obstacles for sturgeon spawning. Therefore, the Government should ensure the deepening of the mouths of these rivers,” the President said.
Further, the head of state noted that the state of roads in the region does not stand up to criticism, while this is one of the most important indicators characterizing the level of economic development and the well-being of its inhabitants.
“Only 72% of local roads are in satisfactory condition. These are quite low figures. The quality of roads of republican significance also lags behind. The repair of the Atyrau-Astrakhan highway is slowly going on. The government needs to ensure the timely and high-quality completion of construction work. In general, the area's broken roads have been the subject of public criticism many times. But there is no result, because the responsible bodies do not do their job properly. Without improving the condition of inter-district, inter-regional roads, it is difficult to talk about the development of regions. Therefore, the construction of roads will be under my personal control,” Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized.
According to the President, the problem of supplying villages with centralized water supply is acute in the region. In many settlements of the region, drinking water is supplied only at certain times.
“This is due to the high wear and tear of infrastructure networks. For example, the treatment facilities that provide water to Atyrau and the Makat region are in disrepair. In the next five years, the shortage of fresh water may reach 40%. Therefore, the Government and the regional akimat should pay close attention to the modernization of the water supply system.
The connection of two new filter stations should be accelerated. It is necessary to speed up the planned reconstruction of the Astrakhan-Mangistau water pipeline, the wear of which has reached 80%. At the same time, the Government should intensify negotiations with banks and financial institutions on the issue of building a new branch of the water pipeline from the Volga. Most of the irrigation canals in the region are dilapidated. This year, funds have been allocated from the republican budget for the repair of three canals. Resources are needed to rebuild eleven more. I instruct the Government to consider the possibility of financing these projects in the next two years,” the President said.
Separately, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev dwelled on the current problems of the healthcare system in the region. As noted in the speech, the region has high mortality rates due to respiratory and cardiovascular diseases. Of serious concern is the level of infant and maternal mortality. The reasons for this situation are in the poor ecology of the region, a large shortage of personnel.
“One of the main tasks is to improve the medical infrastructure. Most Atyrau polyclinics are located in adapted buildings. And in the region as a whole, almost 40% of medical organizations are in this position. The condition of the buildings of the mental health center, the oncological dispensary, the ambulance stations, which are actually unusable, does not stand up to criticism. All these issues need to be addressed urgently. First of all, it is necessary to develop a program to attract specialists to the region and pay attention to improving the skills of local personnel. It is also necessary to carry out a major overhaul and re-equipment of the regional perinatal center. It is necessary to work out the issue of building a new oncological dispensary in Atyrau. A number of new healthcare facilities are planned to be built in the region.
According to the head of state, the spread of synthetic drugs is an extremely urgent and exciting problem for society.
“I would like to dwell separately on the problem of synthetic drugs. Unfortunately, today they are widespread. This is a very dangerous trend. About 110,000 people, including children, are already registered across the country. And those are just the ones we know about. It is required that the activities of the Ministry of Internal Affairs in combating the spread of drugs become more effective. We must uncompromisingly fight against drugs as a whole society,” said Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.
The head of state urged the leadership of the region to focus on the development of education and culture.
“The problem of emergency and three-shift schools has not yet been solved in the region. There is a shortage of kindergartens, with about 17,000 children on the waiting list. Necessary means are provided for the solution of these vital questions. In 2023, within the framework of the national project "Comfortable School", the construction of 11 schools will begin in the region at the expense of the republican budget. The government and the akimat need to ensure strict control over the timing and quality of the implementation of planned projects to modernize the educational infrastructure,” the president said.
Along with this, the head of state stressed the importance of improving the quality of vocational and higher education, strengthening educational institutions of the natural sciences and technical profile.
“On my initiative, a branch of the Gubkin Russian University of Oil and Gas was opened in Atyrau. I am sure that graduates of this university will be in demand in the labor market. At the same time, on my instructions, 10,000 grants were provided to the western regions for the education of students in the leading universities of Kazakhstan. However, we are faced with the problem of their non-development. I already spoke about this in Aktau yesterday. Of the 4,000 grants allocated to the Atyrau region, no more than 800 have been disbursed. This is a very low figure,” Kassym-Jomart Tokayev believes.
According to the President, Atyrau should become an attractive and modern city, convenient and comfortable for every citizen.
“There are long-term construction projects in the city. For example, the Concert Hall, whose construction began 10 years ago, has not yet been put into operation. Moreover, now it is in a virtually destroyed state. The government and the akimat need to finally resolve all issues related to the construction and commissioning of such facilities,” the president said.
Further, the head of state dwelled on the environmental situation in the region. He pointed out that the emissions of hazardous waste from the Atyrau oil refinery often exceed the established norms, and called on large industrial enterprises in the region, including oil and gas companies, to strictly comply with environmental requirements.
According to Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the shallowing of the Ural River is a serious concern for local residents. The water level in the once full-flowing river has decreased in recent years. The ecological state of the river has deteriorated sharply and has reached the last, fifth level in terms of pollution.
“I have repeatedly raised this complex issue at the international level. Several agreements have been concluded between Kazakhstan and Russia in the field of ecology, biodiversity conservation and the use of transboundary rivers. Deepening cooperation in this direction with our neighbors, it is necessary to make efforts to ensure the full implementation of the agreements,” the head of state believes.
The President announced the need to develop in the Atyrau region not only the oil and gas industry, but also such promising areas as tourism. There are all opportunities for the development of economic and educational tourism. As Kassym-Jomart Tokayev noted, few people know that lotus flowers grow along the Kigash River, and the salt lakes of Inder have serious potential for the development of health tourism.
At the end of the meeting, the head of state presented state awards to a group of citizens for their significant contribution to the socio-economic development of the country.
Labor veteran Kairat Ishchanov was awarded the Barys Order of the 2nd degree, Edige Saburov, Scientific Advisor of Atyrauhydrogeology LLP, was awarded the Parasat Order. The Order "Kurmet" was awarded to the Director of the State Enterprise "Atyrau Regional Cardiology Center" Marat Konysov, the Order "Enbek Danky" III degree - the operator of the OGPD "Dossormunaigas" JSC "Embamunaigas" Safi Satmagambetov. Zhanibek Zhamiyev, dombra player of the Academic Theater named after D. Nurpeisova, was awarded the medal "Eren Enbegi Ushin".
By the Kazakhstanskaya Pravda
