BAKU, Azerbaijan, June 6. President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has criticized shortcomings in infrastructure development and governance related to the implementation of Alatau Smart City, Trend reports via the press service of the Kazakh president.
Tokayev highlighted a clear discrepancy between the ambitions of constructing Alatau Smart City and the current socio-economic conditions in the region, stressing the need to accelerate the development of basic infrastructure.
He noted that residents of newly incorporated settlements, including Zhetygen and Koyankus, continue to face persistent challenges such as unstable internet connectivity, inadequate road infrastructure, lack of centralized water supply, and frequent electricity outages.
According to the president, similar issues are observed across the broader region, citing 919 recorded power outages in 2025 and 201 since the beginning of 2026, largely attributed to aging electricity networks.
Moreover, he added that engineering and utility works in the new city districts remain at the design stage, while projects related to substation reconstruction and expansion of water intake capacity are experiencing delays.
“This situation reflects a clear gap between the objectives of developing Alatau Smart City and the actual socio-economic conditions in the region. We must speak about this openly. I consider this a failure on the part of the government, in particular Deputy Prime Minister Qanat Bozumbayev and Akim Marat Sultangaziev,” Tokayev stated.
He emphasized that the expansion and commissioning of new energy capacity is a nationwide issue, noting that many experts view the development of new generation capacity as the primary solution to energy shortages.
However, he emphasized that discussions often overlook the scale of current energy losses in the system.
Tokayev also underlined the importance of improving energy efficiency, referring to the “First Fuel” concept developed by the International Energy Agency, which prioritizes energy savings as a cost-effective alternative to new generation. He noted that the cost of saved energy is 2–3 times lower than the cost of producing new energy, highlighting significant untapped potential.
Tokayev called for joint efforts by the government, local administrations, national companies, and civil society to promote energy-saving awareness, stressing that Alatau City should become a model of rational and resource-efficient development.
