At the invitation of Mr. Marat Sultangaziyev, Chairman of the State Revenue Committee, WCO Secretary General Kunio Mikuriya visited Kazakhstan on 4 and 5 March 2019 to meet political leaders and observe the velocity of the bilateral trade movements in these logistic hubs.
Dr. Mikuriya visited the Nur Joly Border Crossing Point in the Almaty region to look at the functioning of its new Customs facilities at the border with China, on a major trade route linking Western China with Western Europe, which had been opened last September. With the new cargo tracking technology, trade flows seamlessly through Customs while Customs officers monitor its movements and manage the risks from the control center without unnecessarily interfering in the overall processes. These facilities were built through a public-private partnership arrangement, and provide traders with information at any time about the clearance status of their goods. During this visit in Nur Joly, Dr. Mikuriya inaugurated the Customs Museum of Khorgos, which aims at informing the public on the history of this Customs check-point and its memories.
From that crossing border, Secretary General Mikuriya went to Astana where he appreciated the efficiency of its modern logistic center, which is operational since 2016. It is implementing the one-stop-shop procedures, inviting the different agencies including the Postal Service, which has its offices under the same roof as Customs, to join them. At the center, they clear goods including those coming by trucks and railway from Nur Joly and the offices are organized in a way to provide traders with an easy access, while ensuring transparency in the procedures applied.
During his stay, Secretary General Mikuriya also met with the Prime Minister, Mr. Askar Mamin, and discussed ways to enhance cooperation. Prime Minister Mamin mentioned that, as his country invested substantially in transport infrastructures, he was interested in applying WCO standards and tools such as the ones for the facilitation of transit. Dr. Mikuriya suggested that Kazakhstan shares its experience and best practices with other countries via WCO committees and conferences to enhance connectivity at borders.