The discussion of the most important issues and problems of the country’s transport industry takes place on the «margins» of the TransLogistica Kazakhstan 2022 exhibition.

The annual TransLogistica Kazakhstan 2022 exhibition celebrates its 25th anniversary this year, which has become an incredibly popular platform for business, the transport and logistics industry.

Global global geopolitical changes have opened up new prospects and opportunities for our country, but at the same time new issues arise, the solution of which requires urgent measures and flexibility.

For many years, the main interest of the exhibition was mainly among local businesses, but in the light of recent events, it became one of the most important events for representatives of the transport industry from different countries who came to Almaty to solve acute, urgent issues of the industry within the framework of conferences held in the exhibition halls of TransLogistica Kazakhstan 2022.

Our country had good opportunities for the development of cargo transportation before, but global changes open up new prospects for Kazakhstan. This was told by Olzhas Arykbayev, Managing Director for Development of PTC Holding.

«Cardinal changes require completely different approaches from industry business – flexibility, efficiency, mobility. The more quickly we can respond to current challenges, the more successful the development of the business and the industry as a whole will be.
The volume of transit traffic in our country has always had a positive trend, but despite this, there are quite a lot of «bottlenecks», without work on which we risk losing part of transit.

The discussion of pressing issues at the last forum and at the exhibition currently taking place showed that KTZ is doing some work in this direction, including in cooperation with private business. It can be said that the plans being implemented will significantly solve many transit issues.

But the priorities of KTZ in the development of transit cargo transportation have a negative impact on the domestic transportation market. And here it is important to pay attention to the development of alternative carriers that are ready to invest private funds in the development of domestic transportation, but for this it is necessary to give them more freedom, especially to expand the network of routes available to private traders,» Olzhas Arykbayev stressed.

Expressing the opinion of representatives of the business of the transport and logistics industry, Chairman of the Board of PTC Holding Timur Karabayev said that in addition to equal opportunities for KTZ and private business, it is necessary to create a branch ministry that will not only carry out management functions, but also deal with the development of the railway industry.

«Unfortunately, many of the projects implemented by the business are now idle, including due to the lack of domestic traffic volumes, which is a direct consequence of the incommensurability of tariffs for container transportation compared to the universal fleet. The development of multimodal cargo transportation would solve these problems, and in addition, it would reduce the workload of existing lines by transporting cargo in containers, instead of carrying empty containers along loaded lines.

Now all branches of transportation – air, road and rail — seem to live a separate life, as a result of which goods in multimodal schemes of domestic transportation are transported at transit tariffs.

Unfortunately, it is not yet possible to «reach out» to KTZ in order to make the tariffs for container transportation «fair». At the same time, we ask that the coefficient 0.7 be applied to non-existing domestic cargo transportation in containers, which would give an impetus to this type of cargo delivery on the domestic market. Domestic transportation in containers in the Republic of Kazakhstan is now zero. Export-import transportation by containers occupies only 5.4% of the total volume of cargo transportation, which is incommensurable with the indicators of developed countries.

In the context of the development of an export-oriented industry in the country, the lack of a clear solution to this issue will become a deterrent for the country’s economy,» Timur Karabayev said after discussing the issues at the conference.

At the same time, business does not ask the state for help to build its own infrastructure, says one of the industry representatives Olzhas Shilterkhanov.

«I think that business is ready to invest in its own infrastructure projects, because container transportation cannot work by itself. The development of exports this year forces businesses to react quickly to changes. But at the moment, all existing capacities are operating almost in full. And if we get a fair tariff for container transportation, then many companies are ready to invest their own funds in infrastructure expansion.

It is important to set up a dialogue between business on the one hand and government agencies and KTZ on the other hand. It is important that both the government and KTZ hear us. Kazakhstan’s potential is unique and huge. According to recognized experts, we have every opportunity to become the main link on the «new Silk Road», but now to realize these ambitions, KTZ and the government urgently need to take important steps. This also applies to tariff issues and the inclusion of new points in the Trans-Caspian International Route, in particular Dostyk station.

Recent geopolitical changes have revealed risks that can have a huge impact on the cargo transportation industry, and in this regard, it is very important for us to keep abreast of the pulse, to create alternative cargo transportation routes.»

The «Transport Week» of Kazakhstan has become a truly breakthrough for the industry this year. The interest of representatives of foreign business in the forum and the exhibition showed the great importance of this industry for the economy of our country.
It remains only to draw the appropriate conclusions so that the development of the Kazakh cargo transportation market and the transit potential of the country does not «stall» in decision-making mechanisms.