88 investment agreements worth US$2.4 billion signed in three years
The first full tally of investment agreements since late 2023 shows energy, antimony and logistics drawing most foreign capital.
The Irad Special Economic Zone has signed 88 investment agreements worth a combined US$2.4 billion over the past three years, the ISEZ Investment Promotion Office said in Talas on Monday.
The agreements range from small cold-chain and packaging contracts in the Talas Agro-Industrial and Economic Zone to large energy and mining commitments. About a third of the total value is tied to power generation and transmission, led by the refit of the Toktogul hydropower complex. Most agreements are already at the construction or procurement stage.
“Investors tell us three things: they want a predictable dollar-denominated contract, a single counter to deal with, and a government that answers its telephone,” said Kirill Zhdanov, head of the Investment Promotion Office.
“Capital follows confidence, and confidence is built contract by contract,” Lieutenant Governor Aidar Maksat said. He added that the census of business entities opened last week would give the government “a clearer map of who is here, who wants to expand and what they need”.
The office will publish a disbursement update in the spring. A further group of agreements in agro-processing and logistics is expected to be signed before the end of the year.