Kazakhstan: MFF-CAREC Corridor 1 (Zhambyl Oblast Section) Investment Program

The government of Kazakhstan had developed the Transport Strategy to improve and expand the network over the short- to medium-term. The Transport Strategy, including a strategy for the road subsector, outlined several objectives and set out quantitative and qualitative targets and operating principles. The underlying theme was to make the road system larger, better, more accessible, affordable, efficient, safer, and more environmentally friendly. The government also wanted greater integration between different modes, cost recovery, and more outsourcing to the private sector of construction, maintenance, operations, and management. The Transport Strategy called for investments in physical infrastructure, as well as for institutional effectiveness and change.

The multitranche financing facility (MFF) was proposed as the modality for the investment program based on five factors: (i) the modality provided flexibility to the government; (ii) financing under the MFF could be linked to technical, safeguards, legal, and other project readiness filters; (iii) the MFF modality allowed ADB to enter into a medium-term partnership with the Government of Kazakhstan and its cofinancing partners; (iv) individual contract packages were large in size and limited in number; and (v) all the conditions precedent for the use of an MFF were in place.

The facility project completion report (PCR) described the progress made under each of the four tranches of the MFF and is the subject of this validation. IED overall assessment: Successful.