Kazakhstan should introduce a three-year moratorium on inspections of micro and small businesses starting Jan. 1, 2027, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said in his address to the nation.
«An analysis of business activity shows that, essentially, all businesses need is not to be interfered with. The experience of the moratorium on inspections of micro and small businesses from 2020 to 2023 proved effective. I propose that members of the Kurultai, in collaboration with the government, discuss the feasibility of introducing another three-year moratorium starting Jan. 1, 2027, while taking into account both the positive and negative aspects of the previous one,» Tokayev said.
Tokayev calls for stable business rules
The president stressed the importance of providing entrepreneurs with stable and predictable rules. Although state oversight is relatively liberal, he said, businesses continue to face pressure from fines, unscheduled inspections and desk audits, or remote tax reviews, which can result in frozen bank accounts.
«Such an impact can hardly be described as positive. For instance, in the first half of the year alone, the number of violations committed by individual entrepreneurs fell by 34%, yet the total value of fines increased by nearly 11%, and the number of unscheduled inspections surged tenfold,» Tokayev said.
He also emphasized the need to improve small and medium-sized enterprises’ (SMEs) access to procurement contracts from state-owned and quasi-state entities, noting that the government remains a major customer in Kazakhstan’s economy.
Tokayev proposed reserving a portion of procurement contracts for SMEs and easing requirements for suppliers.
Government to develop a plan to grow medium-sized businesses
Turning to the broader role of small and medium-sized businesses, Tokayev said the sector now accounts for 40% of Kazakhstan’s gross domestic product (GDP), while its share of fixed capital investment is approaching 70%.
«We are all aware of the importance of small business, which in many countries is considered the driving force of the economy,» he said.
More than one-third of entrepreneurs in Kazakhstan work in trade, Tokayev noted, underscoring the need to diversify the small-business sector.
The government has been tasked with developing a dedicated plan to expand medium-sized enterprises. The plan should establish frameworks for long-term financing and technological modernization.
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Tokayev also called for closer cooperation between medium-sized businesses and large companies, which should help create the conditions necessary for smaller firms to market and sell their products.
