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OLZHA Group of the Companies (OLZHA Group) was established in 1995 on the basis of the eponymous enterprise, whose legal successor is now a Joint-Stock Company OLZHA. This year OLZHA Group stepped 23-year milestone, which is an evidence of its viability and competitiveness in the transport market and sales of petrochemical products. Shedenov Ilyas Utegalievich the General Director, Candidate of Economic Sciences, Academician of IAIN answers to the questions of our journalist.

- Ilyas Utegalievich, could you please tell us about the formation of the Company and the results of its development.

OLZHA was organized as a Company that provides the widest range of railway services from information support to transportation. At the initial stage, OLZHA began its operations through transportation and wholesale of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and petroleum products and established a long-term cooperation in this area with the leaders of the oil and gas industry.

In accordance with the adopted development program of the Company, its in-house railway fleet is being consistently developed and its nomenclature is further expanded: Tank Wagons (TW) are purchased for the carriage of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and oil products, liquid (molten) sulfur with gondola cars, covered wagons, fittings shunting platforms and shunting diesel locomotives. The annual growth rate of railway cars remains at the level of 100-200 units. Today, the railway rolling stock of OLZHA Group amounts to more than 2000 units.

The company has become one of the largest private owners of the railway car fleet and is certified for compliance with the international standard: the quality management system (ISO 9001), for compliance with the integrated system according to international standards ISO 14001: 2004 and ISO 18001: 2008.

As a result of cooperation with the Kazakhstan-China Direct Investment Fund Citic Kazyna Investment Fund I (СKIF), the Company's Strategic Plan for increasing the car fleet is being implemented. Between 2013 and 2015 the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD) provided OLZHA Group with a loan in the cumulative amount of USD 46.6 million to support the development and growth of the Group, which was the first private project for EBRD in the railway industry of Kazakhstan.

 One of the Company's competitive advantages is a network of its in-house wagon preparation centers for maintenance and repair and a staff of qualified specialists.  In accordance with the development program, at the beginning of the 2000s the in-house production facility was deployed at Kulsary Station (Atyrau Region); the Carriage Preparation Point (CCP), one of the main purposes of which is the maintenance of specialized tank cars for the transportation of LPG.

ОThe company is certified by the Council of Railway Administrations (1520 gauge) as an enterprise performing routine uncoupling repair (RUR) of cars with conditional number (4179), which is delivered at its own main repair facilities located at Kulsary and Kandyagash stations.

On the basis of the Branch Network, OLZHA provides a wide range of railcar services: routine uncoupling repair, preparation for filling, preventive scheduled repair of discharge, control and safety fittings of the LPG Technical Center, preparation of the tank wagons for depot and capital repairs, technical inspection of tank wagons (inspection of technical devices used at hazardous operation facilities) and coloring rail cars. There is a right to perform the specified works in the field of industrial safety (Certificate No. KZ47VEK00002796).

 In addition to that, OLZHA Group has an extensive infrastructure for storage and sale of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) and fuel and lubricants. The storage facilities and network of petrol and gas stations are located in Atyrau, Turkestan, Zhambyl and Almaty Regions. At the same time, LPG is sold to consumers both for domestic needs and as a motor fuel. One of the strategic goals of OLZHA Group is to provide consumers with the entire range of motor fuels at its own network of gas stations, and to this end, it has owned the a filling station and oil products storage facilities in each region.

Deloitte LLP conducts the annual audit of OLGA Group's Consolidated Financial Statements in accordance with the

International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS). OLZHA is a member of the Kazakh Association of Carriers, operators of wagons (containers) KazAPO and a member of the working groups on development of regulatory technical documentation in the field of railway transport.