A facility may be set up in Kazakhstan to assemble Belarusian trucks BelAZ, it was learned. This and other projects were presented to the Kazakh side during the working visit of Prime Minister of Belarus Sergei Sidorsky to Kazakhstan on 8-9 November.

BelAZ First Deputy Director General Fyodor Domotenko remarked: “We have discussed three projects with the Kazakh side. To be precise, it is a single project subdivided into three completion stages. Those are the startup of an enterprise to produce spare parts and perform repairs, establishment of a facility to assemble special machines and foundation of an enterprise via localizing assembly sets that we will supply in Kazakhstan”.

“Preliminary agreements were reached on 9 November. I think that by the end of the month the project will be materialized. Initially the project to manufacture spare parts and provide repairs will be implemented,” he said.

As far as the second phase of the assembly facility project goes, certain efforts will be exercised to reduce the cost of rock haulers to be supplied to this market. For instance, the production of platforms,” said Fyodor Domotenko. All in all, the Kazakhstan facility is supposed to assemble 100 dump trucks per annum. The operation will be based in Karaganda.

At present Kazakhstan uses 1,326 BelAZ trucks with the carrying capacity of 30-45 tonnes.

In 2006 the company sold $16 million worth of products to Kazakhstan, in 2007 - $36 million, in 2008 - $30 million. In 2009 the company plans to sell $14 million worth of trucks to Kazakhstan, said Fyodor Domotenko.

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