OMM Newsroom
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has outlined plans to modernize infrastructure, strengthen trade links and increase electricity generation in his annual address to the nation. AnewZ reports that he presented the country’s economic priorities amid global uncertainty.
The government plans to invest about $14 billion from the National Fund in infrastructure projects by the end of 2029. Tokayev called for a nationwide construction program that includes about 70 healthcare facilities, as well as 50 projects in education, sports and culture.
Disruptions to global shipping have increased demand for overland trade routes between Asia and Europe, creating new opportunities for Kazakhstan. Tokayev said the country should not serve only as a transit corridor, but should play a greater role in managing international freight transport. “Kazakhstan must seize this historic opportunity and become, in practice, Eurasia’s leading logistics hub,” he said.
To that end, the government plans to strengthen domestic logistics operators, build freight distribution centers and digitize international transport routes. The Bakhty-Ayagoz railway, scheduled to open in 2027, is expected to increase annual freight capacity at the Chinese border by 20 million tonnes. The planned Aral-Caspian highway could shorten the Trans-Caspian route by about 1,000 kilometers and cut delivery times by up to three days.
Expanding transport and industry will also increase electricity demand. Kazakhstan generated about 123 billion kilowatt-hours of electricity in 2025, but had to rely on imports because demand exceeded supply.
Tokayev aims to turn the resulting deficit into a sustained surplus by 2029 through the construction of new power plants and upgrades to existing facilities. Construction of the Balkhash nuclear power plant could begin in 2027, though it is not expected to contribute to electricity supply in the near term.
The address also covered inflation, tax reform and business support. Tokayev proposed a three-year moratorium on inspections of micro and small enterprises starting in January 2027. Small and medium-sized businesses currently account for about 40 percent of Kazakhstan’s gross domestic product.
Tokayev stressed that state investment should benefit domestic industry. He called for National Fund resources to be directed toward increasing domestic production rather than paying for imports, and for greater private-sector involvement in infrastructure development.
