Turkistan 2.0 Not Needed — Renowned Economist Rasul Rysmambetov states that Jambyl Region in Kazakhstan has been fortunate to avoid the oil curse, attributing it to being overlooked by central authorities.
A Quiet Life Without the Oil Curse
«For a long time, Jambyl Region remained unattended by central authorities and was quite a complex region — with only 1-2 anchor investors, agriculture, and trade with Kyrgyzstan. Fortunately, there is no oil or other dangerous minerals there. This is despite the fact that individuals from Jambyl are well represented in the government, including the prime minister; still, the region received little attention.
In this sense, the current akim (regional head) is lucky — he arrived in a region where much has been done for prosperity, but it has not yet materialized. The people of the region are warm, friendly, and entrepreneurial. Karashukeev, unfortunately, arrived in lean years. Money is needed to unlock the region’s potential.
Turkistan 2.0 Not Needed
Overall, the crisis years spared the cozy city from ruthless developers, and the architecture is very pleasant. It is strongly hoped that they will not impose ugly boxes in the style of Turkistan, a.k.a. Astana 3.0, and instead preserve the local flavor. Moreover, it seems that the city has enough schools, hospitals, and other social infrastructure; they just need a bit of updating.
As far as I know about local Jambyl families, there are internal investors and neighbors from Uzbekistan and Kyrgyzstan — people who don’t need saving from the shock of Central Asian realities. The region is not a transit point; it is the breadbasket of the area.»
