Kazakhstan taking steps for transition to green economy

NUR-SULTAN (TCA) — Kazakh Prime Minister Askar Mamin on June 24 chaired a meeting of the Council on the Transition to Green Economy under the President of Kazakhstan, which largely focused on measures in the agriculture sector, primeminister.kz reported.

It was said at the meeting that as part of Kazakhstan’s transition to a green economy and in order to stimulate the implementation of modern irrigation systems, measures have been taken to reimburse agribusiness entities 50% of the costs of infrastructure supply and purchase of irrigation systems, subsidizing a 10% interest rate on loans and leasing. By 2022, it is planned to increase the area of irrigated land to 2 million hectares. At the same time, work will continue to reduce the area under water-intensive crops such as rice and cotton.

In order to stimulate the introduction of advanced greenhouse technologies by farmers, a special investment passport has been developed, which provides for the acquisition of appropriate equipment systems and integrated solutions. Investment subsidies have been introduced with a reimbursement of 30% of the costs of building and expanding greenhouses.

Currently, out of 180.1 million hectares of pasture land, 106.2 million hectares (59%) are irrigated. To stimulate the development of rangelands, investment subsidies have been introduced of up to 80% of the cost of creating irrigation infrastructure.

The meeting also considered issues of improving the waste management system, developing renewable energy sources, reducing air pollution, including through natural gas supply to cities and villages and the development of clean transport.

The Council approved the draft Roadmap for Comprehensive Solution of the Environmental Problems of the cities of Nur-Sultan and Almaty. The document, among other, provides for the conversion of hot water and energy boilers to gas, the tightening of licensing procedures for cutting down trees, an increase in the area of green plantings, further transfer of public transport and utility vehicles to gas and electricity.

Source: TCA