OREANDA-NEWS. January 10, 2012. On December 30, Mayor of Astana Imangali Tasmagambetov announced preliminary results of the socio-economic development over the past 365 days at a meeting with an active group of the city.

 “Summarizing results of the outgoing year, we can consider them as quite good results. Generally, 2011 year became special, with a lot of events and positive changes in the socio-economic sphere,” Imangali Tasmagambetov said.

He focused on the macroeconomic indicators. The gross regional product in the first half of 2011 amounted to about 865 billion tenge, the share of gross regional product in the national volume is 7.9 percent. Accordingly, if the rate will be multiplied by two, an approximate figure will be known, which characterizes its annual volume.

At the same time, production of industrial products for 11 months of the 2011 year amounted to 149.7 billion tenge, that on 28.2 percent higher the figure of the same period of the last year.

The volume of retail sales across all channels of sales on November 1, 2011, amounted to 297.9 billion tenge, and increased on 9.1 percent in compare with the same period of the last year.

Fixed capital investments in January-November 2011 reached 480.6 billion tenge, that higher on 37.2 percent against the same period in 2010.

Average wages increased on 16.4 percent, and on November 1, 2011 amounted to 123 416 Tenge.

In general, 376 billion tenge came to the state budget within 11 months, that on 37.3 percent higher against the same level of 2010.

Mayor of Astana noticed that problems of construction sector were practically solved this year, including shared construction. In this case, an annual increase amounted about 30-50 000 square meters in housing sector in Astana. Thus, 1 380 000 square meters of housing were built in 2010, then 1 400 000 square meters of housing were introduced in 2011.

The Mayor of Astana stressed that construction will be conducted in according with new standards in 2012.

"We approved new regulations at the town-planning council, which are primarily focused on the quality of construction. The most important, a visual perception of new facilities will be completely different. A marble, travertine will be used as finishing materials. These materials will solve issues of visual and aesthetic perception of the object, as well as insulation and nuances associated with the maintaining of these facilities," Imangali Tasmagambetov said.

In the social sphere, a shortage of places in secondary, kindergartens and hospitals was the main issue for many years. According to the Mayor, it was connected with internal migration and high birth rates.

In this case, about 50 pre-schools organizations were commissioned within the program "Balapan" in 2010 in the city. And this is more than 11 000 new kindergarten places. In general, another 33 various preschools were gradually commissioned in 2011.

At the same time, a deficit of school places has been reduced from 18 000 to 12 000 in 2010. Two schools were commissioned and another facility of education is completed. Regardless of the program "a hundred schools", a school № 66 for 1200 people was opened in the administrative center in the last year.

In the health care system over the past three years, 10 different hospitals were commissioned, which provided a sufficient number of hospital beds.

“Now, our efforts are focused on the development of outpatient care. Literally, multidisciplinary hospital for 500 beds was commissioned on the Independence Day. We transferred a staff of the City hospital # 1 there. The next year we will open a multidisciplinary children's hospital for 250 beds. We construct two infectious hospitals for adults and children,” the Mayor of Astana stressed.

 “The second problem of the Health care connected with an out-patient link. We need to solve this problem within 2-3 years,” the Mayor said.

He recalled that new landmark facilities were commissioned in 2011. A triumphal ark “Mangilik yel” dedicated to great successes of the country and designed to raise the spirit of the people of Kazakhstan, to inspire nation for the future; the Palace of schoolchildren of multidisciplinary facility, which has no analogues in the whole Central Asian region; Media-center, which is the first of its kind facility in the country, which will be a place of infrastructural and technical support for the media; Republican school “Zhas Ulan”; a wagon production factory “Tulpar-Talgo”; administrative building “Emerald district”, real estates “High Vill” and “Azure district”. Also, construction of Cathedral Mosque "Hazret Sultan" is continued, which is planned to open in July of the next year.

"Along with that, we started a program on commissioning of specialized kindergarten. We need support parents of children, which have different disabilities due to various circumstances. For example, a specialized kindergarten for children with musculoskeletal and cerebral palsy for 156 places was commissioned in the city. 

In general, 137 children of the capital need such specialized institutions. The next year, it should be necessary to build an additional building at school for children with disabilities, to provide them a possibility to study in general curriculum. As well as, we should have a third stage, it is a construction of a facility, where children could work, communicate, feel themselves useful to society and earn money. The question is to socialize them into society,” the Mayor said. He also stressed that an issue to built kindergarten for children suffering from tuberculosis will be considered.

Speaking about communal services Imangali Tasmagambetov made particular emphasis on energy.

“Energy is an important direction. Today, we feel a shortage of thermal energy, especially in December, when we had 10-15 frost days. The city grows rapidly, that made energy facilities to work hard. That’s why, a Thermoelectric power station 1 and Thermoelectric power station 2 are actively modernized, construction of a new energy recourse Thermoelectric power station 3 is started, which is planned to be commissioned in December 2013. ”

 “I tell about this at every meeting, because everyone understands that the time is limited, the task clearly assigned, funded. We need to perform this task. The city can not feel comfortable without the reliability of the heat system,” Imangali Tasmagambetov stressed.

According to him, a ring VL-220 kV is building in Astana, it will let to optimally distribute the generated electricity throughout the city. The Mayor also highlighted further development of utilities and road construction.

 “I would like to emphasize a capital reconstruction of Zhenis avenue. A problem was to put correctly engineer networks under the road, not in covering with asphalt. Reliability of engineer network gave an investment attractiveness of this part of the city. Because, some facilities will be demolished and new buildings will be constructed. It will be impossible to conduct, without that work that we have done.” the Mayor stressed.

In general, 110 km of roads were built and reconstructed in 2011.

“Of course, forming comfortable conditions for residents of Astana, we should take into account an equal infrastructure development of the city in different districts of the city. In this case, the complex program on development of outskirts of the city was adopted. It is planned to provide engineering networks and roads in residential areas. This year, 16 km of water supply systems, 6 km of sewerage, 28 km of new roads have been constructed on the outskirts. Also, this program provides complex work on the improvement and gardening.

The program is designed for three years, but everything depends on the city budget.

The Mayor also noted the work of landscapers. About 40 000 trees and 7 000 shrubs were planted in 2011. 7.6 billion flowers were planted in 2010, this year we planted about 8.4 of flower seedlings.

Imangali Tasmagambetov stressed that a lot of landmark events took place last year.

Asian Games was successfully held at the beginning of the year. Major political events as conferences of the Customs Union and EurAsEC were held in February, a number of international conferences and meetings within the framework of Kazakhstan's chairmanship of the OIC were held in April.

On the Nation Unity day, for the first time we organized mass procession at the main square of the country, celebrated the ordinary anniversary of Great Victory. At the same period, the capital met the guests within World Kurultai of Kazakhs.

A landmark month became June, when Astana became the venue for the 7th World Islamic Economic Forum and the SCO summit.

The Capital Day was especially celebrated, in view of the 20th anniversary of Independence of the country, in July. About 100 events with participation of three thousand Astana residents and guests of the capital were organized in the framework of the Capital Day.

A meeting of Heads of the CSTO member states and a military parade, dedicated to the Day of the Constitution, took part in August.

Days of regions of the country were organized in the capital from September to November.

The climax of the Jubilee year became two events. They are: the opening ceremony of the Triumphal Arch "Mangilik Yeli" and an interactive presentation music poem at the stadium "Astana-Arena.

One more event in life of our city was the recognition by the European Foundation for Quality Management (EFQM) system of the capital management.

"Representatives of this authoritative international organization analyzed and evaluated the work of the 11 metropolitan departments of the Mayor’s office. We are not only first public agency that has received this appreciation in Kazakhstan, but also in post-soviet area. Mayor’s office of Astana was awarded by Certificate of quality management in Brussels," Imangali Tasmagambetov said.

The Mayor also briefly outlined the objectives for 2012.

 “First of all, we should execute the Head’s of State orders, which were given at the work meetings,” the Mayor stressed.

The Mayor also stressed that "the city should become self-sufficient in terms of the economic component, and in terms of tax filling." In this regard, a special attention will be paid to the activities of an industrial park and a free economic zone.

The next direction is small and medium businesses.

Major topics on the agenda of the Mayor’s office are the issues on reducing unemployment level, inflation and rising of the prices in 2012.

The last issue is related to the project Smart city.

According to the Mayor, a special attention will also be paid to the issue of safety in Astana. In particular, it is planned to implement the project "Safe City".

Summarizing results of the year, Imangali Tasmagambetov said that the most important assessment of the city Mayor’s office is a well-being of citizens.

"The most important recognition is residents. If they give a good estimate, if they satisfy with our work, so we really work in necessary direction," the Mayor of Astana said and expressed the hope that a rate of socio-economic development of Astana in the upcoming 2012 will achieve high level.