Customs Union will facilitate cooperation Central Asian countries, Afghanistan

Only Kazakhstan from all the countries in Central Asia, is one of the member of Customs Union, but, nevertheless, it is a very important factor that will facilitate trade, Deputy Minister of Economic Development and Trade of Kazakhstan Timur Zhaksylykov said in Astana at the consecration ceremony due to the development of cooperation between Central Asia and Afghanistan.
According to customs statistics, the volume of foreign trade turnover of Kazakhstan in Central Asia and Afghanistan in January-August 2012 totaled $ 2.8 billion, an increase of 32 percent compared to the same period last year. Exports increased by 35 percent and imports 25.5 percent.
"The foundation for the growth of regional trade is the current agreement for a free trade area. During the 90s at the CIS territory was awarded a number of unilateral and bilateral agreements on free trade, which provided duty-free trade regime basically," - Zhaksylykov said.
Constantly worked on the new version of the agreement. At the end of last year on October 18 in St. Petersburg 8 countries signed an agreement on free trade zone, which so far has been ratified by Belarus, Kazakhstan, Russia, Ukraine, and Moldova.
"We hope that it will soon complete the ratification process in Tajikistan and Kyrgyzstan. We believe that this will be a new impetus to trade between our countries are actively growing and developing. Overall, the agreement is designed to eliminate the shortcomings that have been in last version of the agreement, to enter full-scale mode of full trade. And also work in areas such as the further removal of barriers to mutual trade of the Central Asian countries, infrastructure development and facilitation of transit and customs procedures for goods, "- he said.
As for the development of physical infrastructure, Kazakhstan built the railways more than all the countries of the CIS. This work is continuing. Now, there are large-scale projects to build new lines of railways in a wide way. A project of the road Western Europe-Western China. This project substantially increase transit to Europe and China.
'Kazakhstan and the Central Asian countries do not take the best position in Doing Business ratings. This is due to the remoteness of ports. This geographical features that we can not change, but we can ease administrative and customs procedures, transport procedures to prevent border transport of goods. In this regard, work is being done. A project to introduce a single electronic window for all customs, export and import operations. We hope that during the next year project will be finalized, "- vice-minister said.
According to him, will be to unify and automate the process of issuing permits on the basis of accounting it technology, database integration.
"I think that this will have a stimulating effect on the development of cooperation between the countries of Central Asia. Only Kazakhstan from all the countries in Central Asia but, nevertheless, it is a very important factor that will facilitate trade," - he concluded.