Crackdown on ‘info-gypsies’: False coaches in Kazakhstan face new fines
Kazakhstanis continue to encounter pseudo-coaches and self-proclaimed psychologists who offer harmful advice without proper training while charging large sums for their services. Journalists asked Deputy Minister of Culture and Information Yevgeniy Kochetov when Kazakhstan plans to regulate such specialists.
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According to Kochetov, authorities plan to prosecute pseudo-psychologists on social media under Article 456-2 of the Code of Administrative Offenses for «posting and disseminating false information and illegal content.» However, the proposed regulation has not yet been drafted or discussed in Parliament.
«We already have penalties for disseminating false information, and this is the measure we will be guided by,» Kochetov said.
Registry of psychologists and coaches under discussion
The deputy minister also said the Ministry of Culture and Information supports a proposal by the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection to create a unified registry of psychologists and coaches that would allow the public to verify specialists’ educational credentials.
«We are now discussing this regulation within the government. We want to clarify the diploma requirements somewhat,» he said. «We will see how our colleagues in government respond to these regulations and whether they support them.»
Kochetov noted that the ministry views the activities of such specialists as a direct threat to society.
«We all understand that these regulations are necessary. A large number of people suffer because of this,» he said. «Many present themselves as highly qualified specialists, people trust them, and give them money.»
Background on proposed legislation
On April 8, 2026, the Mazhilis, Kazakhstan’s lower house of Parliament, considered the draft law on psychological practice, which would establish an official registry of psychologists.
At the time, Deputy Minister of Labor and Social Protection Bakhtiyar Zhazykpayev said it would be difficult to gain entry into the registry because specialists would be required to verify their diplomas and professional qualifications.
If a psychologist is found to have engaged in illegal activity, penalties would be imposed under the Criminal Code, depending on the severity of the harm caused. Parliament is also discussing fines for violations related to the provision of psychological assistance.
