Logistic Center "Kalzhat" is the Kazakhstanis «knot» on the Silk thread

Kazakhstanis «knot» on the Silk thread

Few expected the revival of ancient trade routes that once crisscrossed the Eurasian continent. Despite the fact that the best trade is the trade by sea and ocean, many countries felt the need for the re-establishment of the Silk Road, opening up even more opportunities in trade and development of the economies of countries in general.

Kazakhstan intends to significantly win as a major transit corridor between East and West. Currently, there are intensive work on the establishment of an effective and profitable trade with China, marked as the beginning of the Great Silk Road many centuries ago. With the aim of improving transport and logistics infrastructure, on the border of the Republic of Kazakhstan and People's Republic of China, the modernization of customs posts on the basis of public-private partnerships is continuing. Thus, on 10 October on the Kazakh-Chinese border took place  the official opening of a modern transport and logistics center (TLC) “Kalzhat”, and we were lucky enough to witness a small, but faithful steps of Kazakhstan on the path of revival as the center of trade in Central Asia.

The road to Kalzhat from Almaty took about five hours by bus and partially went on the new highway Almaty-Horgos. Shortly after our arriving to “Kalzhat”, the main delegation with the head Gosman Amrin, Deputy Chairman of state revenue Committee, arrived . Another equally important person at this facility was Erlan Dikhanbaev, director of  "Eurotransit Logistic" LLP, that was managing the construction of this transport and logistics center TLC “Kalzhat”. Journalists who came along with us, quickly surrounded them by their cameras and after a short interview with the delegation we all went to the administrative building.

Here, despite the holding of such an event, the work went on as usual: truck drivers were busy with the registration of cargo, TLC staff studied different documents. We were occupied with the presentation of the idea of the New Silk Road, noting what an important role Kazakhstan plays in its revival and what was happening at the moment in Kalzhat also played its role.

After that, the audience was addressed by Gosman Amrin. He told us that the modernization of customs centers implies the development of the transit potential of the entire Customs Union (TC), and the creation and use of near-customs infrastructure will make it possible to reduce the cost of transportation of goods from Southeast Asia to the territory of the Customs Union, as well as to Western Europe. The “Kalzhat” facilities are created for entrepreneurs as well. Yerlan Dihanbayev noted in his speech: "The center's work is built on the principle of a single window, all services are provided in an accelerated form, conditions for entrepreneurs and participants in foreign economic activity are created. The new information system will save time for entrepreneurs who can not only get a wide range of services for sorting, storing and marking cargo, but also at the time of receiving the servants will be able to take a rest in the recreation room or business room with the Internet and working conditions "

After several interviews and pictures with the delegation, we were invited to go to the customs control zone. It is a huge site, on which there are hangars for temporary storage of cargo, parking for 19 and 23 trucks, weighing platform and checkpoint. The interesting thing was to observe how the trucks are checked. It turns out that the inspection at the border is not just "open the hood, show the interior, submit documents". Customs control is carried out with the help of special devices, the existence of most of which many drivers do not even guess about. For example, the machine is checked for radiation and hidden cavities, the content of metals in transported goods is also studied. But the most serious control is carried out by the inspection complex, when the vehicle is scanned with a huge frame. If you know an arsenal of custom devices, it becomes clear how even small quantities of illicit goods, cigarettes in gas cylinders and collectable coins in the tires are revealed and smugglers are caught.

Such innovations, applied in the technical and technological aspect of the project, ensure the growth of cargo transportation and promote transparency, development of cross-border trade and entrepreneurship. Construction of transport and logistics centers, such as "Kalzhat", "Bakhty", "Khorgos", "Altynkol" means the development of a digital culture, able to adapt to the new challenges and opportunities with adequate infrastructure. In this regard, Kazakhstan has broad prospects, and we are already on the way to creating the largest logistics system in Eurasia.