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On April 14, Astana hosted a meeting of the governmental commission on the return of illegally acquired assets, chaired by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov. During the session, officials announced the total amount of assets already returned to the national budget.

According to the government, the commission has approved new agreements on the voluntary transfer of assets. As a result, the country’s special state fund will receive an additional $290 million. Moreover, individuals and entities affected by the asset recovery law have pledged to invest $10.5 billion into Kazakhstan’s economy.

So far, nearly $1.2 billion has been recovered and returned to...

In 2024, Kazakhstan’s exports of IT services more than doubled its imports, reaching $690.7 million, 2.1 times higher than the value of services purchased abroad, according to data from the Data Hub Telegram channel. For comparison, in 2023, exports exceeded imports by just 17%.

Russia contributed significantly to this growth, accounting for one-third of the annual increase in IT service exports — $54.5 million of the total $161.6 million growth. Russia’s overall share of Kazakhstan’s IT exports stood at 14% or $95.6 million.

Meanwhile, the U.S. share dropped sharply from 8% ($43.6 million) in 2023 to just 1% ($9.1 million...

In early April, Kazakh Invest and Polpharma Group signed a memorandum on the development of pharmaceutical manufacturing in Kazakhstan. In an interview with Kursiv.media, Markus Sieger, CEO of Polpharma Group, explained why this document is so important for both parties and what Polpharma Group aims to achieve in Kazakhstan.

– Polpharma Group has signed a new memorandum with Kazakh Invest. What are the main objectives of the document?

– First of all, we are very pleased that the government of Kazakhstan supports our intention to help patients within the country and across the Central Asian region. As you know, Polpharma...

In late January, Kazakhstan’s President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev called for the urgent creation of an international air hub, stating that the most decisive measures must be taken. Kursiv.media spoke with industry experts and airport stakeholders in Kazakhstan to understand how this vision might be implemented in practice.

Industry reactions to Tokayev’s directive.

What is an air hub and how can it be built?

How do air hubs operate in other countries?

The jet fuel problem.

Infrastructure limitations and lack of investment.

The cargo opportunity: untapped potential.

Reform is essential for a functional hub.

Kazakhstani police, in conjunction with their counterparts from Hamburg, Germany, have arrested a 58-year-old German citizen in Astana, who had been wanted by Interpol for large-scale fraud. The man was on the international wanted list after Hamburg authorities opened a criminal case against him. The suspect was apprehended during an operation called «Investigation,» as reported by Polisia.kz.

Furthermore, the operation led to the identification and detention of 284 people wanted for various crimes, including:

Additionally, 32 suspects were located outside the country...

Kazakhstan’s Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market (ARDFM) is set to allow traditional banks to provide services under the Islamic window format. This is specified in a new draft law on banks and banking activities, which Dauren Salimbayev, director of the Department of Methodology and Prudential Regulation of Financial Organizations at the ARDFM, spoke about during roundtable discussions.

Under the new law, Islamic banking regulation in Kazakhstan will also apply to Islamic windows, which are services based on Islamic principles provided by a conventional bank. In addition, the regulation of banks carrying out Islamic transactions will take...

Turkish companies have expressed interest in participating in Kazakhstani projects related to construction, transport infrastructure and the production of medicine and food, as reported by Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Trade and Integration.

«Zhanel Kushukova, vice minister of Trade and Integration, held a series of meetings with Turkish government representatives and businesses aimed at developing bilateral trade and economic cooperation during her visit to Turkey… Turkish companies have expressed particular interest in projects related to construction, transport infrastructure and the production of medicine and food. In addition, Turkish IT and GPS service providers reported their readiness to cooperate...

Kazakhstan has become the only country in the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) where the number of unemployed people has increased over the year, according to data from the Eurasian Economic Commission.

As of the end of February, more than 333,000 unemployed people were officially registered in Kazakhstan. This represents 3.5% of the total workforce in the country. Over the year, the figure increased by 27,000 people — from 306,000, or 3.2%.

In other EEU countries, the number of unemployed people has been decreasing. In Russia, 283,000 people are officially unemployed, or 0.4% of the total workforce. A year ago, their...

Kazakhstan bans the use of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies when working with dissertations referring to classified information and in research related to children, according to Adlet Toibayev, chairman of the Committee for Quality Assurance in Science and Higher Education.

The official explained that the restriction applies only to specific cases when the information security and psychological conditions of minors are in question.

«The use of AI is not allowed when working with the materials marked ‘For Official Use’ and in psychological and pedagogical experiments involving children,» Toibayev stated.

But at the same time, the Ministry...

Four Kazakhstanis who fell victim to human trafficking in Myanmar were returned to Kazakhstan, as reported by the Uzbek news agency Dunyo. According to open sources, they were forced to work in fraudulent call centers, and a large amount of money was demanded for their return.

«As a result of concerted actions and negotiations with the competent authorities of Myanmar and Thailand, citizens of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan have been freed and handed over to diplomats of Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan at the Mae Sot (Thailand) border point, where they were provided with temporary accommodation and meals...

According to Freedom Holding Corp. (FRHC) CEO Timur Turlov, the holding’s subsidiary Freedom Telecom is actively expanding its presence in Shymkent, with total investment in the city amounting to $14.8 million. He made this statement during a meeting with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

As the businessman noted, the company’s investments in the city’s infrastructure can be divided into four areas, one of which is public Wi-Fi, installed at 13 locations across Shymkent — including 10 parks — providing a total of 40 hotspots.

«We plan to install no fewer than 300 new hotspots in Shymkent in...

The National Bank of Kazakhstan has not sold gold from its gold and foreign currency reserves since Feb. 19, according to Chair Timur Suleimenov, who spoke to the press after the regulator announced its decision to keep the base rate unchanged.

«We have been purchasing gold as usual. This year, local factories will produce 67 tons of gold. Since the beginning of the year, we’ve sold just eight tons. Excluding this amount, we plan to continue buying and storing gold. We’re in accumulation mode,» he said.

The National Bank chair also revealed that the regulator...

Kazakhstan may rely on its National Fund and international reserves to withstand a potential global economic crisis, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said during an address to residents of Shymkent, where he is currently on a working visit.

Tokayev warned that the world is shifting toward a policy of aggressive tariff confrontation, which could spark more than just another recession.

«This is not just another recession. We’re facing the possibility of a severe crisis that could shake the foundations of the global economy and have dire consequences for the entire system of international relations,» he said.

Despite...

Kazakhstan’s National Bank has decided to keep the base rate unchanged at 16.5%, meeting experts’ and market players’ expectations during today’s monetary policy session.

According to the regulator, the move was justified as monthly dynamics have demonstrated the first signs of stabilization. In March, inflation slowed to 1.3% compared to 1.5% in February. The core inflation rate (0.9%) and the seasonally adjusted inflation rate (1%) show similar trends.

However, the current seasonally adjusted inflation is still accelerating. The rate has already reached 14.2% on an annual basis, the National Bank reported.

«This trend is supported by...

A growing number of Kazakhstanis want to work remotely, echoing global workforce trends. HeadHunter Central Asia, a leading online recruitment platform in the region, surveyed more than 900 job seekers and employers in Kazakhstan and found that 35% of respondents prefer working from home.

The research highlights that commuting has a direct impact on stress levels, well-being and productivity. Traffic congestion is associated with elevated blood pressure, and long commutes can negatively affect mental health, even contributing to depression.

Only 18% of respondents reported commuting less than 15 minutes on foot. For 34%, the commute takes 15 to 30 minutes...

Uzbekistan has joined the founding agreement of the Eurasian Development Bank (EDB) after President Shavkat Mirziyoyev signed the move into law, as reported by the EDB’s press service.

With this accession, Uzbekistan becomes the seventh participant of the bank and its third-largest shareholder, with a share of 10%. The country will now be a full-fledged participant in the EDB’s activities alongside Russia (44.8%), Kazakhstan (37.3%), Belarus (5.2%), Armenia (4.3%), Tajikistan (4.3%) and Kyrgyzstan (4.2%).

«The partnership offers new opportunities for the economic development of Uzbekistan and the entire region. The EDB will support Uzbekistan’s pursuit of...

Two lithium processing facilities will begin construction in the Ulan district of the East Kazakhstan region by 2029, according to regional governor Nurymbet Saktaganov. He made the announcement during a recent session of the regional maslikhat (local council), as reported by the YK-news.kz portal.

«Construction of two large industrial facilities in the Ulan district is planned for 2029. These include a lithium mining and processing plant, as well as a facility to process pegmatite ores for the production of lithium oxide concentrate,» Saktaganov said.

The project is being developed by the German company HMS Bergbau...

The new airport building in Almaty, completed in 2024, has been named the «Best New Airport Terminal 2025» and «Best Regional Airport in Central Asia / CIS 2025» by Skytrax, a prominent U.K.-based international air transport rating organization.

Each year, the company conducts the World Airport Awards ceremony, where Almaty and Astana airports have been recognized as the best this year.

«Skytrax recognition reflects our commitment to high-quality services and passenger satisfaction,» said Skytrax CEO Edward Plaisted, highlighting that the new terminal sets a new quality benchmark for the region.

«The...

The U.S. is going to lease a land parcel from Kazakhstan for 49 years to build its consulate in Almaty. The lease payment will be $25.3 million for the entire 49-year period. This is a kind of symbolic price, which is a common practice in international relations. A market lease price for that piece of land could reach $170 million.

The land parcel, spanning 70,500 square meters and intended for the construction of the consulate, is located at the intersection of Zhamakayev, Aldar Kose, Al Farabi and Seifullin streets. This is one of the most affluent areas in Almaty.

Kazakhstan has proposed a uranium mining and fuel supply deal to support Turkey’s growing nuclear energy ambitions, according to Baurzhan Duisebayev, CEO of the Chemical Engineering Design Bureau.

«Suddenly, Turkey is leading the way: four reactors are under construction there, and it could become a valuable new partner for Kazakhstan,» Duisebayev said during a panel discussion at the MINEX Kazakhstan 2025 mining and exploration forum in Astana.

He noted that the projected fuel demand for Turkey’s planned nuclear facilities is substantial.

«With a total output of 4.8 megawatts — even for...

Kazakhstan’s Foreign Minister Murat Nurtleu is hopeful that Russia will take part in the construction of Kazakhstan’s first nuclear power plant (NPP). He made this statement during his meeting with Sergey Lavrov, his Russian counterpart, as reported by the Russian news agency TASS.

“Speaking of investment projects, I’d like to note that we have many joint and large-scale projects with Russian businesses. The number of enterprises anticipated to be established in the near future has already surpassed 170. And, of course, one of the most significant projects is the construction of the NPP in Kazakhstan. I...

Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov has ordered the cabinet to prepare an investment agreement with Shanghai SUS Environment Co., Ltd., the largest solid waste incinerator supplier and a leading developer of integrated municipal solid waste management in China, within two weeks. Once the document is ready and signed, the company will build a waste processing plant in Almaty, the government said in a statement.

The new plant will be based on waste-to-energy technology, in which household waste is burned to produce electricity. With a capacity to burn 2,000 tons of waste daily and generate up to 60 MW of power, the...

According to President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the current tariff war could trigger a global economic storm that would eventually hit Kazakhstan as well. However, the president believes that there is no reason to panic, as reported by the Akorda.

«What is happening all over the world right now could become a harbinger of a global economic storm. Many experts believe that the world is on the verge of one of the direst crises in decades,» Tokayev said.  

The president emphasized that despite a 90-day moratorium for new U.S. tariffs, they have already stirred the international...

In January 2025, Kazakhstan’s external debt totaled $164.7 billion, a net increase of $1.1 billion from the beginning of 2024, according to statistics from the National Bank. Although external debt grew by $3.9 billion last year due to transactions reflected in the balance of payments, this growth was partially offset by negative exchange rate effects, cost changes and other factors amounting to $2.8 billion.

The structure of Kazakhstan’s external debt: