Kazakhstan plans to expand automated efforts to identify income sources belonging to individuals who fail to pay child support. Bailiffs will be able to obtain information about earnings from passenger transportation, delivery services, gambling and electronic money transactions. Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov announced the plans in response to a parliamentary inquiry.
MP Larissa Li proposed introducing additional support measures for families who do not receive court-ordered child support payments. In her view, simply imposing stricter penalties on delinquent parents is not enough.
In his response, Bektenov said the government had expanded the tools available to bailiffs to identify debtors’ income. Specifically, bailiffs have been authorized to request information from operators of internet platforms and mobile applications involved in the platform economy, including gig-work services, as well as from gambling operators.
«Work is also underway to integrate with the information systems of government agencies to identify income generated from passenger transportation, delivery services, gambling and electronic money transactions,» Bektenov said in his response.
Bailiffs use the Automated Information System for Enforcement Proceedings to trace debtors’ income. The system exchanges data with government agencies, banks and other organizations.
It also accesses employment databases and the Unified System for Recording Labor Contracts. This allows bailiffs to automatically identify a debtor’s place of employment, employer and whether a formal employment relationship exists. The information is then used to collect child support directly from the debtor’s salary and other sources of income.
Read also: Prosecutors in Kazakhstan to use taxi app to catch alimony debtors.
How child support arrears are calculated
Bailiffs calculate outstanding child support based on a debtor’s actual earnings and other income. If an individual is unemployed or fails to provide documents confirming their income, the amount is calculated using Kazakhstan’s average monthly salary.
If child support cannot be collected for three consecutive months, the bailiff must calculate the total amount of arrears and initiate compulsory collection measures, which may include seizing the debtor’s assets.
Penalties for child support debtors
In Kazakhstan, failure to pay child support can result in criminal liability, including imprisonment for up to two years. However, Bektenov noted that imposing harsher penalties would not necessarily help recover outstanding payments. Imprisonment, he argued, could limit a debtor’s ability to earn money and fulfill their child support obligations.
The share of criminal cases brought to court under Article 139 of Kazakhstan’s Criminal Code increased from 11% in 2020 to 37.1% in 2025.
During the first nine months of 2026, authorities handled 991 active criminal cases under this article. Of the cases concluded during the period, 356, or 43.2%, were referred to court, while another 185 were dismissed on grounds that did not constitute exoneration.
Failure to comply with court rulings and enforcement documents can also result in administrative liability. During the first nine months of 2026, a total of 3,477 debtors were held administratively liable under Article 669 of Kazakhstan’s Code of Administrative Offenses.
