Key management personnel across Kazakhstan’s commercial banks saw dramatic shifts in compensation driven by corporate restructuring, deferred bonus accounting, and equity-based incentive programs. Recognized executive compensation expenses in annual audited financial statements do not always reflect actual cash paid during the reporting period, as long-term incentive plans, deferred bonuses, and…
Solidcore Resources, a Kazakhstan-based gold mining company, is set to invest $25 million in exploration across five sites in Japan as part of a strategic alliance with Japan Gold Corp., a Canadian-registered mineral exploration company. Solidcore may acquire stakes of up to 80% in some of the joint projects, the…
Singapore-based Changi Airports International (CAI) is entering the major infrastructure sector in Astana. The city’s administration, the Ministry of Transport of Kazakhstan and the Singaporean airport operator have signed a framework agreement on cooperation for the long-term development of the capital’s airport infrastructure. Two areas of cooperation The agreement formalizes…
New tracts of land have been added to Kazakhstan’s state subsoil resource management program, with plans to offer them for licensing for hydrocarbon exploration and production, according to documents published on the Ministry of Energy’s website. Notably, some of the newly added tracts contain cemeteries and animal burial grounds. Specifically,…
UK companies are exploring business opportunities in Kazakhstan. Potential investors include a well-known restaurant chain and companies specializing in water technologies, digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence, according to UK Trade Envoy to Azerbaijan and Central Asia John Thomas Alderdice, Baron Alderdice, who spoke with Kursiv. «I am very optimistic about…
Marine Health, a Kazakhstani company that sells dietary supplements in 11 countries, saw sales slump after entering the Uzbek market because its standard marketing strategy failed to resonate with local consumers. Arman Toskanbayev, a serial entrepreneur and the company’s president, discussed the experience on the “Business Ninja” YouTube channel. Read…
Cash accounts for 12% of consumer payment volume in Kazakhstan. By this measure, the country has nearly caught up with leading global economies and surpassed several emerging markets, according to the annual national study «Fintech in Kazakhstan 2026.» Kazakhstan’s figure is close to those of the U.S., where cash accounts…
Kazakhstan is set to allocate part of its National Fund to finance major infrastructure projects, including schools, hospitals, roads and energy facilities. EU Reporter examines how the move could shape the country’s future. How the National Fund works Kazakhstan’s National Fund accumulates a portion of state revenues from the sale…
Artificial intelligence has quietly transitioned from an experimental concept into an everyday workplace collaborator across major global economies. A recent ranking by World Population Review highlights how the integration of automated tools is reshaping daily professional routines and altering traditional career hierarchies. Rather than replacing human workers, these technologies are…
Commercial banks in Kazakhstan are confronting a sharp deceleration in credit expansion alongside accelerating credit risks, as non-performing loans surge three times faster than healthy loan books. The aggregate sector net profit dropped 14.9% year-over-year to 1.40 trillion tenge (about $3 billion) over the first seven months of 2026. Profitability…
Two years ago, Freedom launched its SuperApp with mobile banking as the core element. Since then, it has expanded into dozens of other services — from travel and shopping to telecommunications and government services — and its user base has grown to 6 million. As a result, the SuperApp team…
The EU is set to attract up to €12 billion (around $13.8 billion) to develop the Middle Corridor, which runs through Central Asia and the Caucasus to Europe, European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said. Kazakhstan is one of the key points along the route. In her 2026 State…
Kazakhstanis are being lured into supposedly lucrative investment schemes using deepfakes of well-known figures and fake investment platforms. Over the past month and a half alone, 119 cases of fraud involving this scheme have been recorded in Kazakhstan, according to the Prosecutor General’s Office. Scammers place advertisements on TikTok, Instagram,…
Kazakhstan’s tax reform has had only a limited impact on strengthening the state’s revenue base, according to the National Bank of Kazakhstan’s August 2026 Monetary Policy Report. Budget deficit widens In the first half of 2026, the overall state budget deficit rose to 3.2% of gross domestic product (GDP), exceeding…
Tin One Mining, a subsidiary of Solidcore Resources plc, Kazakhstan’s major gold producer, plans to begin ore extraction at the Syrymbet tin deposit in the North Kazakhstan region in 2027, according to the Committee for Environmental Regulation and Control (CERC). Production to begin in 2027 Under the revised plan, the…
As advanced economies face shrinking native populations and demographic aging, foreign-born workers are increasingly powering economic growth, spurring investment, and lifting labor productivity, according to a study published by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER). A powerful driver of productivity and investment Analyzing net immigration across 38 OECD nations…
According to Azamat Amrin, Kazakhstan’s first vice minister of national economy, the country could receive additional budget revenue if high oil prices persist. Crude oil is currently trading at around $100 per barrel, while Kazakhstan’s 2027 budget assumes an oil price of $70 per barrel. Therefore, higher-than-projected oil prices could…
Kazakhstan-based Shin-Line, Central Asia’s largest ice cream producer, plans to launch a joint venture with South Korean logistics giant Lotte Global Logistics worth 1 billion tenge (about $2.2 million), expected to deliver goods to online and chain stores. Shin-Line and Lotte Global Logistics signed a memorandum of understanding on Sept.…
A proposal in Kazakhstan would allow digital asset owners to resolve tax liabilities arising from past transactions by disclosing their assets and transferring them in full from foreign or other unregulated platforms to licensed Kazakhstani digital asset service providers. The proposal is included in amendments to the Tax Code. Tax…
The global shift toward remote work is undergoing a major reversal as employers around the world mandate a return to physical offices. A recent ranking by World Population Review highlights how corporate policies, regional cultures and employee resistance are reshaping the modern workplace. Read also: Why Kazakhstan’s major bank rejects…
Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Defense plans to conduct underwater surveys and explosive ordnance disposal operations in the country’s sector of the Caspian Sea to clear planned routes for subsea oil pipelines for the Kalamkas-Sea and Khazar project. The plans are outlined in the rationale for proposed amendments to Kazakhstan’s Tax Code,…
Kazakhstan-based Shin-Line, Central Asia’s largest ice cream producer, plans to launch ice cream production using South Korean technology. In addition, the company plans to establish a food industry cluster modeled on South Korea’s Jeonbuk State. Shin-Line reported on the agreements reached during President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s state visit to South Korea.…
In the first six months of 2026, Russia became Kyrgyzstan’s main wheat supplier, overtaking Kazakhstan. According to Kyrgyzstan’s official statistics, Russian wheat exports increased almost fivefold, while supplies from Kazakhstan fell by about half. Overall, Russia supplied Kyrgyzstan with 220,200 tons of wheat worth $47.1 million from January to June,…
Plans are underway to tokenize the Iconic Tower complex, valued at up to $50 million, and the Birlik logistics center, valued at up to $10 million, in the new city of Alatau, Kazakhstan’s flagship urban development project, by the end of 2026. The initiative aims to turn ownership rights in these…
