PTC Holding Group holds leading positions in the railway transportation market of Kazakhstan. Zhanat Yessenov, Managing Director of PTC Holding, told Argus about the implementation of new projects and the logistics situation during the Covid-19 pandemic.
— How soon do you think the transportation market in Kazakhstan will recover after the complete abolition of quarantine measures?
— Many companies in the context of the pandemic sought to maintain their current positions in the market, as the Kazakh economy experienced a downturn, and this directly affected the work of the transport industry. We expect the planned exit of transport companies to the planned traffic volumes at the beginning of the year in the second half of 2020 and 2021. Provided that the situation with the pandemic does not worsen this fall.
— What services does PTC Holding provide, and what is its advantage?
— The PTC Holding Group of Companies provides a full range of rail transport services, including operation of freight wagons and payment of freight fares. In addition, PTC Holding provides the rental of fittings platforms to the subsidiaries of the state company «Kazakhstan temir zholy» (KTZ) to ensure the transport of transit cargo flow in the direction of China — Europe — China.
The advantage of the group of companies is the possibility of providing a more flexible tariff for transportation by building optimal logistics within the company’s loading ranges. In addition, the company can ensure the availability of cars at any station in Kazakhstan as soon as possible.
— How do you describe the situation in the market of bulk cargo transportation in Kazakhstan?

— There is now a decrease in the volume of oil products transportation due to the general decrease in business activity during the quarantine period in Kazakhstan. This results in a surplus of petrol tankers, so we do not expect the rental rates to rise in the next 6-9 months.
During this period we focused on keeping our fleet operational and ensuring the timely repair of wagons. Our company provides up to 96-100% of all oil products transportation from refineries and oil bases in the domestic market of the country. The company also holds a significant share in the export market of bulk cargo transportation from Kazakhstan.