Transit is the Gold Bottom for Kazakhstan

Iliya BLOGGER

The expert estimation of the possible incomes from transit transportations via Kazakhstan territory makes up about USD 2 billions. However this «bet» is like a ripe apple which is not available for the domestic transport workers and logists. The part of the experts believes that the fruit is already plucked by the Chinese party.

Geographically Kazakhstan has the tremendous opportunities for the transit transportations. Perhaps, Kazakhstan is one of the few countries which have a great potential for the international transit without the outlet to the high sea. In 2008 Astana earned USD 15 millions when the Russian Federation has made a decision on electric power support of Kyrgyzstan. For all this, the already available transport objects and opportunities have been used. The other example concerns the national air transport of Uzbekistan. This year «Kazaerornavigatia» has increased the payment for transit on 21 %, and the Uzbekistan has to pay because of the Uzbek airplanes can not fly bypassing the territory of Kazakhstan.

The political leaders of the country understand the role and importance of transit. The President's annual «Messages» to the people of Kazakhstan are indicative of the point: «We need purposefully to support, renovate and expand transport infrastructure. We should use transit potential of the country to the maximum, so for this purpose we need to integrate our transport system into the global one».

After disintegration of the Soviet Union the external transport corridors of Kazakhstan have appeared with more than 90 % of outlet via Russian territory. It was especially hard experience for oil (petroleum) industry of the country. Actually the relative pipeline independence of Kazakhstan began in 2001 when the oil pipeline CPC (Caspian Pipeline Consortium) went into operation and the first tanker with «black gold» was shipped in the port of «Novorossiisk». As opposed to all the other export pipelines CPC does not belong neither to «Transneft», nor to «Gasprom». CPC is an international consortium over its entire length.

The project «ТРАСЕКА» (Central Asia — Caucasus — Europe) has appeared due to desire of the European Union to receive the transport corridor around of Russian Federation territory. To tell the truth, the large number of the state-participants of the project implementation (13 countries) does not allow to compete with the Russian transport routes in full (there are a lot of procedures at crossing the borders), but this is a good alternative. The Aktau International Sea Trade Port (AISTP) has received the second breath after its decline in 90-s. Owing to the project «ТРАСЕКА» Kazakhstan has an opportunity to renovate the traditional «North — South» transport routes and to form the new transport routes in the «East — West» direction.

After Turkmenistan and Iran railroads amalgamation Kazakhstan has received an opportunity to have the railway transportation both to Turkey and the Persian gulf. Unfortunately, Astana didn't come to agreement on transportation with Uzbekistan, this considerably worsens the general transit situation in the region.
Due to port Aktau the Republic of Kazakhstan is the part of the international transport corridor North — South (Northern Europe — Russia — Iran — India). However Kazakhstan main hopes are connected with the opportunities available on intercontinental routes between Europe and China. It's a complicated task to go round 2,5 million sq. kilometers of Kazakhstan territory, that is why local logists make every effort on its effective usage.

At present the charges on transportation over water of a standard container from Shanghai to Hamburg make EURO 650 (the discounts are possible). The transport charges at intercontinental routes can't be competitive with such offers. But time could be their advantage. The transportation over water is longer on 25-30 days. «It could be profitable to transport the goods by means of overland transport at the certain cost of the goods. It is necessary to develop various directions and to choose the goods», Mr. Nickolai Kashirin, sales manager of «Amanat Invest Group» has emphasized.

The aim of the last measures of Kazakhstan logists is to move a part of goods transportation from sea directions to intercontinental corridors. It's impossible to speak about the absolutely large volumes of goods, as the railway will not cope with the task even if the trains move in a non-stop mode. Nevertheless, the scope of the overland transportation is supposed to be quite enough.

Meanwhile, the skeptics prove that Kazakhstan already has lost a great fight for transit. For example, the charges on transportation of 20-foot container from Shanghai to St. -Petersburg make EURO 700, but the transportation of goods from Urumchi to Almaty makes USD 3500. Economically it's more preferable to transport the Chinese goods even to Nizhni Novgorod via port of St. -Petersburg, than to use Kazakhstan transcontinental corridor. Logistics prevailed over geography. In addition, the Kazakhstan logistics school hasn't been created in the country during all years of independence.

In any case, Kazakhstan is still the main transit territory for all the southern post-Soviet republics. For example, if Uzbekistan sells cotton in Russia, Turkmenistan imports gas to China, Tajikistan transports fruit to Byelorussia, all of them should cross the territory of Kazakhstan. Despite of unfavorable factors, Astana could influence in the sphere of transit, in which the economic decisions are adequate. The state promises to concentrate the efforts in order the transit potential could create the new transit routes and conditions for additional receipts to the State budget.