Kazakhstan, China expanding Green Corridor in customs sphere
"Our First President Nursultan Nazarbayev has pointed out that the idea of reviving the ancient Silk Road in a new, modern format is a response to political and economic challenges. Kazakhstan, located between Europe and Asia and neighboring such markets as Russia and China, has an enormous transit potential. The synergy of the Nurly Zhol State Program of Kazakhstan Infrastructure Development and the Belt and Road Initiative builds a profitable partnership in various economic sectors," he said.
According to him, Kazakhstan has created the necessary motor transport and railway infrastructure facilities, the Caspian Sea port infrastructure, reducing the time for delivery of goods from Asia to Europe by more than three times. The fiscal authorities are also exerting major efforts to create favorable trade and transit conditions for is also being carried out.
"In September 2018, we launched new border crossings on a strategically vital highway - Western Europe - Western China (Nur-Zholy (Kazakhstan) and Khorgos (China)), which are equipped with the state-of-the-art equipment and meet the highest international standards. This made it possible to automate the procedures of customs control, and, as a result, significantly cut the time needed for moving goods across the border," said Marat Sultangaziyev.
He reminded that there has been a steady growth in the Kazakhstan-China trade turnover. It exceeded 11% last year alone.
"To speed up the clearance time, we reached accords with our Chinese colleagues to exchange preliminary information about goods being moved and customs statistics interaction. [We] are promoting projects to reconstruct the customs posts on other external borders, implement joint customs control, and expand the Green Corridor project," he underlined.
He said that cooperation with tax administrations of other countries is carried out both in multilaterally (international organizations) and bilaterally, and, through joint efforts with China's State Administration of Taxation, and, since recently, as part of the Belt and Road Initiative.
"Such collaboration is aimed at building a transparent and modern tax system, which, in turn, will contribute to taxation clarity and transparency, and to creating a favorable investment climate," said Mr. Sultangaziyev.
It is to be recalled that on April 25, a delegation of Kazakhstan took part in the thematic sessions of the II Belt and Road Forum for International Cooperation.
37 heads of state and government have participated today in the opening ceremony of the Forum. On April 27, the leaders of the countries will have a joint meeting.
At the invitation of Chinese President Xi Jinping, First President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev, will participate in the event.