News

More than half of the surveyed Kazakhstanis said they oppose the idea of increasing the value-added tax (VAT), promoted by the government. Many have already reported price increases in groceries and essential goods. The other half of Kazakhstanis are not confident in their financial well-being, as indicated by the results of a survey on perception of the socio-economic situation in Kazakhstan conducted by the Bureau for Express Monitoring of Public Opinion Demoscope.

During the poll, respondents were asked several questions, including one about the VAT increase from 12% to 16%.

The obtained results indicated that the absolute majority of Kazakhstanis...

Kazakhstan is preparing to auction 50 solid mineral deposits, including sites rich in gold and rare metals, according to Almas Kushumov, head of the subsoil use department at the Ministry of Industry and Construction.

«An electronic auction is planned for June of this year. We will be auctioning 50 deposits,» Kushumov said during the MINEX Kazakhstan 2025 mining and exploration forum in Astana.

The rights to the deposits will be granted for both geological exploration and commercial production. Deposits with confirmed reserves — particularly of gold, copper and rare earth elements — will be auctioned...

The Ministry of Industry and Construction is going to use artificial intelligence (AI) to analyze geological information obtained between the 1950s and 1980s, according to Vice Minister Zhannat Dubirova.

«We are actively digitizing geological information collected between the 1950s and 1980s. We are going to complete this process this year. In parallel, we are working on introducing AI tools capable of not only recognizing geological information but also of analyzing various characteristics and creating predictive models for deposits and minerals in Kazakhstan based on big data,» she said during the MINEX Kazakhstan 2025 forum.

According...

In 2024, Russia became the biggest investor in Kazakhstan. According to analysts from the Association of Financiers of Kazakhstan (AFK), this situation has both advantages and disadvantages for the country. On the one hand, Russian investments are more stable than European ones. On the other hand, they could pose certain risks.

In 2024, the gross inflow of foreign direct investment (FDI) from Russia to Kazakhstan stood at $4 billion, which is $1 billion more than in 2023. Thanks to this increase, Russia has become the leader in investments in Kazakhstan, surpassing the Netherlands, which had headed the list of the...

Kazakhstan is experiencing the closure of a growing number of flour milling enterprises, with some relocating production to neighboring countries. Over the next five years, exports of Kazakh flour are expected to drop from 1.5 million tons to 500,000 tons, and up to 6,000 workers in the industry could lose their jobs, excluding those in related support sectors, according to Zhomart Motyshev, head of the Grain Processors Union of Kazakhstan. He shared these concerns during a recent panel discussion at the Mazhilis, Kazakhstan’s lower house of parliament.

In recent years, Kazakhstan has shifted from being a leading flour exporter to...

The Saratov Tank Structural Steel Plant (Saratov RMK Plant) in Russia has completed construction of a vertical steel tank with a capacity of 10,000 cubic meters for Kazakhstan’s Mangistaumunaigas, according to a source familiar with the matter. Notably, the plant had previously exported similar products to Kazakhstan up until 2020.

«Russian oil tank producers are entering the Kazakhstani market once again. The Saratov RMK plant has completed construction of a vertical steel tank with a capacity of 10,000 cubic meters. The purchaser is a Kazakhstani producer of pipeline components, fittings and couplings in the oil and...

Kazakhstanis will soon be banned from importing machinery, furs and jewelry for personal use more than once a year. The country’s Ministry of Finance is also setting limits on the quantity of such goods allowed per person.

The State Revenue Committee under the Ministry of Finance has amended regulations defining which goods transported by individuals across the Eurasian Economic Union (EEU) customs border qualify as personal-use items. The draft regulation has been published on the government’s Legalacts.egov.kz portal and is open for public comment until April 22.

Under the proposed rules, individuals will be allowed to import the following items...

The Astana International Exchange (AIX) reported $188 million in trade volume from January to March 2025. In 2024, the same rate totaled $1.3 billion, or $325 million per quarter on average, which is 72.9% higher than the figure in Q1 of this year.

In the first three months of 2025, 277 securities from 156 issuers were available on the AIX. Since the beginning of the year, the number of securities in circulation on the exchange has increased by 16.4% or 42 financial instruments (including delistings), while the number of issuers has grown by 13.3% or 34 participants.

In...

Jennifer Lopez’s fans in Kazakhstan are lighting up the comments section of her manager’s social media post announcing the «Up All Night» world tour, which includes a stop in Astana. Flooding the post with heart emojis, Kazakhstan’s flags and warm invitations to try beshbarmak, the country’s beloved national dish, fans are showing their excitement ahead of her Aug. 1, 2025, concert.

Lopez confirmed the tour dates on her Instagram account, revealing that the «Up All Night» tour will span 17 cities across Europe, the Middle East and Central Asia, including stops in Antalya, Istanbul, Sharm El Sheikh, Vigo, Cádiz...

Kazakhstan is eyeing a mining boom and seeking partners in Canada. During a recent visit to Toronto, Renat Bekturov, governor of the Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC), estimated the value of Kazakhstan’s untapped mineral resources at $40 trillion. He invited Canadian companies to play a role in developing these resources.

«Kazakhstan is counting on its estimated $40 trillion mineral wealth to spark a mining boom […] To attract investors, state-backed AIFC is offering a clear, modern regulatory system and easier processes for investors,» the Mining.com news platform reported.

Since its founding in 2018, more than...

The government of Kazakhstan has prepared new measures to attract foreign tourists; the introduction of the Tax Free system is one of them.

The Ministry of Tourism and Sports has proposed switching the Tax Free system from a test mode to a permanent operation across the entire country.

The Tax Free system operates in many countries around the world, helping to attract tourists by granting them the opportunity to make a tax refund on purchases. Testing of the system began in 2019 in Astana, Almaty, Shymkent and Turkestan.

From Aug. 15, 2019, to Dec. 31, 2024, authorities refunded international tourists...

The Kyrgyz cabinet has expressed concerns about the growing number of places of worship in the country. To address the issue, authorities have proposed introducing specific rules and guidelines to regulate the number of new places of worship in various areas. The draft regulation has already been brought up for public consideration, as reported by the local 24.kg news portal.  

The Kyrgyz State Commission for Religious Affairs has been registering previously built but unregistered places of worship in the country over the past four years. During this period, local authorities have discovered almost 650 religious buildings operating without official...

Kazakh Invest, Kazakhstan’s national investment promotion agency, has addressed the recent decline in foreign direct investment (FDI) to the country. In 2024, gross FDI inflows dropped by 28%, from $23.9 billion to $17.1 billion. Meanwhile, net FDI turned negative for the first time since records began in 2005, reaching -$2.55 billion.

The agency considers this downturn a temporary phenomenon and says the trend can be reversed, primarily through several planned investment projects.

Why is FDI decreasing?

Kazakh Invest emphasizes that the drop in FDI does not reflect a decline in Kazakhstan’s investment appeal. Instead, it attributes the slowdown to several...

Over six months, a 62-year-old woman residing in Kostanay had been messaging with a person pretending to be Keanu Reeves on TikTok. He asked her to transfer him $400, claiming he had ended up in a difficult situation, as reported by Polisia.kz. To make the transaction, the woman went to a bank, where bank officials, along with the office for combating cybercrime, persuaded her not to proceed with the transfer.

The woman approached a second-tier bank because she didn’t know how to transfer funds on her own. However, the bank’s employees noted that the account to which the victim wanted...

On April 7, Minister of Tourism and Sports of the Republic of Kazakhstan Erbol Myrzabosynov met with the leaders and employees of Freedom QJ League, including Chairman of the Board of Trustees Timur Turlov, at the organization’s office. According to the minister, the league has created an effective project based on a systematic approach and focused on comprehensive development over just two years. Myrzabosynov admitted that he was a bit surprised by the fact that QJ League had done so in such a short time.

The official also recalled that the press conference dedicated to the launch of the Freedom...

Global stock markets took a sharp dive following the U.S. announcement of new import tariffs targeting more than 180 countries. Kazakhstan’s stock exchange followed suit: on April 4, the KASE index dropped 2.7% to 5,522 points. Analysts surveyed by Kursiv.media warn the market may face continued pressure in the days ahead.

Global market turmoil

Investor anxiety is mounting amid aggressive trade policies from President Donald Trump’s administration, which many fear could tip the global economy into a recession.

European markets opened Monday with steep losses. The Stoxx Europe 600 was down 5.16% at the time of publication, with industrial and...

Kyrgyzstan is battling a measles outbreak. According to the local media, nearly 5,000 cases of measles, including eight fatalities, have been reported in the country since the beginning of the year. Despite the challenging situation in the neighboring nation, Kazakhstan’s Committee of Sanitary and Epidemiological Control told Kursiv.media that, in contrast, Kazakhstan has seen a 99% decrease in disease incidence.

«We are still registering measles cases across the country. Thanks to the measures undertaken, 229 such cases were reported in February 2025. This is a significant decrease compared to December 2023, when more than 10,000 cases...

Kazakhstan has entered the world’s top 10 countries for digital public service quality, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov announced during a recent cabinet meeting. According to him, the country’s leap forward is the result of streamlined bureaucratic processes and the continued development of its e-government (eGov.kz) system.

«Kazakhstan has joined the top 10 countries in the world in the provision of digital public services,» Bektenov said. «We have reached the stage of proactive and seamless service delivery; citizens no longer need to visit government offices to access services.»

One notable example of this digital-first approach is...

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) and the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB) have signed a memorandum of understanding with the ministries of energy of Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Azerbaijan to support the feasibility study of the export corridor for green electricity from Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan via the Caspian Sea and Azerbaijan to Europe, as reported by the ADB.

«The Asian Development Bank (ADB), the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), and the energy ministries of Azerbaijan, Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan today signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to support the Feasibility Study for the Caspian Green Energy Corridor...

Oil and uranium account for 73% of Kazakhstan’s exports to the U.S. This category of goods is likely to be exempt from new tariffs imposed on trade partners of the U.S. by President Donald Trump. The White House has already published a document listing goods free of new duties.

The document includes uranium ores and concentrates, natural uranium and compounds of natural uranium and enriched U235. An annex to the document also mentions oil 127 times. However, it is unclear whether Kazakhstani oil is subject to the new tariffs, as the U.S. government uses an eight-digit code to regulate foreign...

A pilot project designed to oversee public spending through the digital tenge has been launched in Kazakhstan. The new method was the main topic at a cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov on April 3. During the meeting, officials discussed new approaches to ensuring transparency in the use of state funds, as reported by the press service of Kazakhstan’s Anti-Corruption Agency.

Askhat Zhumagali, chairman of the agency, reported on the results achieved through the introduction of the so-called “money coloring,” which allows tracking the flow of public funds to their final recipients.

According to the agency, the...

Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Internal Affairs is considering new measures to regulate electric scooter operation. Due to the significant number of traffic collisions involving these vehicles, the measures may include introducing e-scooter registration and even requiring riders to obtain a driver’s license.

Kaisar Sultanbayev, chairman of the Administrative Police Committee, stated that the issue of registration is not urgent; however, if the number of traffic violations increases, such measures may become necessary. Authorities are also working on developing bicycle infrastructure, although expanding the network of bike lanes is not feasible at the moment.

Furthermore, e-scooter riders may lose their right to...

The European Union (EU) has prepared a €12 billion package of investments for the Central Asian countries within its Global Gateway program. President of the European Commission Ursula von der Leyen announced the initiative during the first EU-Central Asia summit in Samarkand, Uzbekistan, as reported by Spot.uz.

According to the European official, the new Global Gateway investment package worth €12 billion will be a joint effort of the EU and its member states.

She also emphasized that the package would lay the foundation for the launch of large-scale projects across all of Central Asia: in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan and...

Kyrgyz police have conducted street patrols in Jalal-Abad, speaking with women about the country’s ban on wearing the niqab, a face veil worn by some Muslim women, in public places. The State Committee for National Security released photos of the enforcement efforts.

Kyrgyzstan’s law on religious freedom and religious associations, which prohibits wearing the niqab in public spaces, took effect in late January 2025. Violators face a fine of approximately $230. On April 2, law enforcement officials held a meeting in Jalal-Abad to enforce the ban and raise awareness among women wearing niqabs in public.

The law also bans clothing...