“This must stop”: Tokayev criticizes ministries over airport sector issues

Tengrinews.kz – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev sharply criticized several ministries for delaying long-overdue decisions in the development of Kazakhstan’s airport sector during a meeting on regional cargo aviation hubs held in Astana on December 3.
The President said relevant ministries had been slow to address systemic problems and instructed the government to move quickly and resolve specific issues without further delay.
Tokayev stressed that the current tariff policy for airport services needs revision. Over the past decade, tariffs were increased only once – earlier this year – and keeping them artificially low, he noted, has led to severe infrastructure deterioration.He added that any tariff changes must be balanced, avoiding sudden price hikes, and that the “tariff in exchange for investment” principle should be a key condition for industry development in the coming years.
Creating a favorable business environment is a strategic priority, Tokayev said, urging officials to listen carefully to investors.

The President also criticized excessive regulation of non-aviation airport services, pointing to complicated tender procedures and short contract durations. “All this must stop,” he demanded.
Tokayev instructed officials to finalize decisions on aviation fuel as well. According to him, the sector continues to struggle with two major issues — high prices and insufficient domestic production.