Proposals for the development of the transport corridor were announced at a regional meeting of national committees on trade facilitation. Aidarbek Samykbaev, Head of the Customs Policy and Infrastructure Development Department of the Ministry of Economy, reported on the details of the plan.
Key Development Areas
The first stage proposes securing interstate obligations, which involves signing agreements and appointing transit coordinators in each country of the corridor. Instead of lengthy coordination of all processes at once, the department proposes launching pilot projects on one specific section for a certain category of goods.
Simplification of Procedures and Digitalization
To accelerate border crossings for road transport, the plan includes the implementation of a single electronic document package, preliminary declaration, and operation through a "single window" system. It also proposes reducing the number of repeated inspections of vehicles, drivers, and cargo by designating separate lanes for low-risk goods.
As part of the fourth step, the modernization of the entire logistics chain is envisaged, including railway and port infrastructure, as well as the unification of tariffs and customs rules. In parallel, the Ministry of Economy is preparing a national electronic logistics system. The draft document has received approval from the Asian Development Bank, and a feasibility study is currently being prepared.
Context
The Trans-Caspian International Transport Route (TITR) is a trade and transport corridor connecting China and Central Asian countries with the European part of the continent.
