Kazakh president signs decree to establish Transport Ministry

ASTANA. Sept 1 (Interfax) - Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed a decree to split the Industry and Infrastructure Development Ministry into two agencies, namely a Transport Ministry and Industry and Construction Ministry, his press service said.

Tokayev said earlier in his state of the nation speech that the Transport Ministry should be reinstated. "We should reinstate the Transport Ministry, which will also be responsible for road construction," he said.

The president said that Kazakhstan should strengthen its position as the key transit hub in Eurasia and become a strong transport and logistics center in the long run.

"To support dynamic development of this sector is our strategic goal. The share of the transport and logistics sector in GDP should reach at least 9% in the next three years," Tokayev said.

At the moment, Kazakhstan has a transport committee, which is part of the Industry and Infrastructure Development Ministry.