*PRESS RELEASE: Astana Motors launches multi-brand plantMulti-brand plant Astana Motors Manufacturing Kazakhstan has commenced operations. In this connection, Astana Motors announces a reduction in prices for vehicles produced at the plant. The plant's equipment has now been fully installed and commissioned. The facility has completed commissioning and received its first batch of components for the production of Chery, Changan, and Haval vehicles.The founder of Astana Motors, Nurlan Smagulov, noted that production localization will make vehicles more affordable: starting September 16, the prices of Chery, Changan, and Haval models will be reduced."As part of the agreement with the government on industrial assembly, the plant has committed to ensuring 30% of production using the completely knocked down (CKD) method, including welding and painting. Localizing vehicle production reduces their cost. Accordingly, as responsible entrepreneurs, we are reducing the prices of the aforementioned vehicles by 7–15%, depending on the model," emphasized Nurlan Smagulov.Official distributors of Chery, Changan, and Haval in Kazakhstan will soon provide further details on the new vehicle prices. All these brands, like the plant, are part of Astana Motors.The production capacity of Astana Motors Manufacturing Kazakhstan is 120,000 vehicles per year. The production area spans 211,000 square meters, with a total land area of 309,000 square meters. At full capacity, the enterprise will provide 3,600 jobs, with 1,700 already employed. The plant features robotic and automated welding, painting, and assembly workshops; component warehouses; an automated body distribution warehouse; a weighing station; a test track; paint and finished product warehouses; utility networks; an administrative and amenity building; and other facilities.The construction of the multi-brand plant was initiated by the Head of State, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, during his working trip to Almaty in November 2022. Technical License Agreements (TLA) were signed in May 2023 during President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s visit to China, as part of a roundtable with Chinese business representatives in Xi’an.The total investment exceeded 202 billion tenge. Of this, 37% was funded through Astana Motors’ own resources, while 63% came from borrowed repayable funds attracted through credit instruments from BRC and FRP at an annual interest rate of 9% for a term of 15 years. The project was implemented with the support of the Ministry of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, and the Almaty City Akimat. (ICE ALMATY)

Fonte notizia: INTERFAX