Kazakhstan aims to expand geological exploration area 16% by 2026Kazakhstan plans to increase its geological exploration area from 1.9 million to 2.2 million square kilometers by 2026, which will be an increase of nearly 16%, Deputy Minister of Industry and Construction Iran Sharhan announced Wednesday."Currently, geological exploration covers 1.9 million square kilometers of Kazakhstan’s accessible territory, but this will soon expand to 2.2 million square kilometers. We aim to reach this target by 2026," Sharhan said when speaking at the 15th International Mining and Metallurgical Congress in Astana.The government also plans to introduce digitalized geological data systems and hold transparent, automated e-auctions for 50 deposits, including gold, silver and rare metals.Sharhan highlighted the mining sector’s growing role in Kazakhstan’s economy, accounting for 8% of GDP in 2024, with production exceeding 4.3 trillion tenge and investments rising 12% to $3.6 billion.“Additionally, five major investment projects worth over 3.5 trillion tenge are in the pipeline, expected to create around 8,000 jobs,” he said.The expansion follows Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov’s directive last December to boost government support for exploration, particularly for complex deposits. According to the government’s press office, authorities will offer incentives to encourage investment in challenging mining projects, with a focus on geological surveys. (ICE ALMATY)

Fonte notizia: INTERFAX