Almaty Begins Installing Signs in Low-Emission Zone
Images | Depositphotos
Authorities in Almaty have begun installing road signs and information boards as part of a pilot Low Emission Zone (LEZ) project, the municipal enterprise Almaty Parking reported.
The signs are being placed at entry points to the pilot zone, which is located within the area bounded by Bogenbai Batyr Street, Zheltoksan Street, Abai Avenue and Dostyk Avenue.
The company stressed that there are currently no traffic restrictions, entry fees or penalties associated with the zone.
The main objective of the pilot project is to test digital infrastructure, fine-tune traffic monitoring systems and collect data on the impact of vehicle traffic on air quality.
The technical pilot phase will run until December 31, 2026. Until then, vehicles will continue to operate within the zone under normal traffic conditions.
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Kazakhstan Allocates KZT 3 Billion for Construction of Protective Dam at Lake Alakol
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The Kazakh government has allocated KZT 3 billion from its reserve fund for the construction of a protective dam at Lake Alakol in the Zhetysu Region. The corresponding resolution was signed by Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov.
The funding will be used to build a 6-kilometre dam. Of the total length, 2.5 kilometres will be constructed near the village of Koktuma, while the remaining 3.5 kilometres will be built near the village of Akshi.
The government noted that in 2025, bank protection, earthworks and concrete works were completed along a 1.7-kilometre section of the shoreline. The installation of gabion structures was also completed.
According to the government, the new dam will strengthen the lake's shoreline and improve the system for sediment transport and redistribution. The protective infrastructure is also expected to support the development of the region's tourism potential.
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Kazakh President Appoints New Ambassadors
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Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has appointed new Ambassadors Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Uzbekistan, the United Kingdom and Romania. The corresponding decrees have been published on the official website of the Presidential Administration (Akorda).
Yeraly Tugzhanov has been appointed Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Uzbekistan. His predecessor, Beibut Atamkulov, has been relieved of his duties.
Alibek Bakayev has been appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Kazakhstan to the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland. In connection with his new appointment, he has been relieved of his previous position.
Amangeldy Sainov has been appointed Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Romania. His predecessor, Yerlik Ali, has also been relieved of his duties.
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Amendments on the Legal Status of Self-Employed Deferred Until 2027
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Kazakhstan has decided not to include amendments defining the legal status of self-employed workers in the current package of changes to the Social Code and the Entrepreneurial Code. The decision was made at a meeting of the project office overseeing the implementation of the new Tax Code, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Zhumangarin.
The government said the issue will be revisited in 2027, once the new tax regime has been in operation long enough to establish practical experience and assess its results.
Under the new Tax Code, self-employed individuals are defined as people who provide services or perform work without registering as individual entrepreneurs, do not employ hired workers, operate within an approved list of business activities, and earn no more than 300 monthly calculation indices (MCIs) per month. They are subject to a special tax regime requiring only social contributions at a rate of 4%.
According to the State Revenue Committee, 688,800 people have registered as self-employed since the beginning of the year. Of these, 597,000 (87%) work through digital platforms such as Yandex, inDrive and Wolt, while another 91,500 operate independently.
Among the registered self-employed, 84,200 were previously registered as individual entrepreneurs, while 546,400 had never before been officially registered as entrepreneurs. As a result, more than 500,000 people have entered the formal labour market and tax system for the first time.
At the same time, participants in the meeting noted that the legal status of self-employed workers requires further discussion. The government said it is necessary to determine whether self-employment should be regarded as an independent form of economic activity, a transitional stage leading to entrepreneurship, or a separate category of employment. The answer will determine future regulation under the Entrepreneurial Code and the Social Code.
The meeting also discussed the taxation of transactions on Kazakhstan's balancing electricity market for subsoil users operating under production sharing agreements (PSAs).
Since July 1, 2023, Kazakhstan's balancing electricity market has operated in real time with hourly metering. All settlements for deviations between planned and actual electricity volumes are processed through the Kazakhstan Electricity and Power Market Operator (KOREM). Under the current rules, however, market participants operating under production sharing agreements do not, in certain cases, receive compensation when negative balancing costs exceed their electricity purchase expenses, the government said.
Following the discussion, participants concluded that the issue requires additional legislative regulation.
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Expansion of Almaty-Bishkek Highway Section from Four to Eight Lanes Begins
Images | KazAutoZhol
Work has begun to expand a section of the international Almaty-Bishkek highway from four to eight lanes at one of the busiest entry points to Almaty. The reconstruction will cover the stretch between the 19th and 27th kilometres in the Karasai district of Almaty Region, state road operator KazAutoZhol said.
The project aims to modernise one of Kazakhstan's busiest transport corridors, which carries more than 70,000 vehicles each day.
KazAutoZhol Chairman Darkhan Imanashev said the reconstruction would significantly increase the road's capacity, improve traffic safety and enhance transport connectivity across the Almaty metropolitan area.
The existing four-lane highway is no longer able to accommodate current traffic volumes, resulting in frequent congestion and an increased risk of road accidents.
As part of the major upgrade, the highway will be widened from four to eight lanes. The project also includes the construction of two horseshoe-style interchanges, nine pedestrian overpasses, sidewalks along the entire section, street lighting and a new road surface.
The reconstruction will also involve relocating utility infrastructure, including gas pipelines, water supply networks, power lines and fibre-optic communication cables.
KazAutoZhol expects the project to reduce travel time between Almaty and surrounding suburban communities, increase the capacity of one of the city's main entry routes and improve overall road safety.
The government previously said construction is scheduled to be completed and the upgraded highway commissioned by December 2027.
According to the Almaty city administration, around 300,000 vehicles enter the city every day. Including internal traffic, the total daily traffic volume exceeds one million vehicles. The Almaty-Kaskelen highway is one of the busiest roads in the Almaty metropolitan area, with traffic volumes reaching up to 60,000 vehicles per day.
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哈萨克斯坦与上合组织成员国讨论反恐合作问题
据独联体执行委员会消息，哈萨克斯坦参加了在巴基斯坦伊斯兰堡举行的上海合作组织（上合组织）成员国边防部门负责人会议。与会各方就加强上合组织地区安全以及协调开展反恐合作等议题进行了讨论。
消息称："会议期间，各方围绕上合组织成员国国家边境局势及其发展趋势交换了信息，并总结了已开展的边境专项行动成果。"
会议还指出，独立国家联合体（独联体）与上合组织之间的伙伴关系具有重要的历史意义。2025年，独联体国家元首理事会决定赋予上合组织独联体观察员地位，进一步推动了双方伙伴关系的发展。
此外，独联体成员国反恐中心主任叶夫根尼·瑟索耶夫（Yevgeny Sysoyev）强调，独联体反恐中心将上合组织地区反恐怖机构（RATS）和集体安全条约组织（CSTO）视为最重要的合作伙伴，致力于在落实2025年由独联体、上合组织和集安组织秘书长共同签署的《路线图》框架下，最大限度整合与合作伙伴的力量，不断增强联合反恐能力。
Kazakhstan and SCO Member States Discuss Counterterrorism Cooperation
Kazakhstan took part in a meeting of the heads of border services of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states in Islamabad, where participants discussed strengthening security across the organization's area and enhancing coordination in the fight against terrorism, the CIS Executive Committee reported.
During the meeting, the participants exchanged information on the situation at the state borders of SCO member states, assessed its projected development, and reviewed the results of special border operations," the statement said.
The participants also highlighted the historic significance of the partnership between the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS) and the SCO, noting that it gained additional momentum in 2025 after the Council of Heads of State granted the SCO observer status within the CIS.
In addition, Yevgeny Sysoyev, head of the CIS Anti-Terrorism Center, stressed that the center regards the SCO Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure (RATS) and the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO) as its key partners. He said the CIS Anti-Terrorism Center aims to integrate its efforts with those of its partners as closely as possible and strengthen their joint counterterrorism capabilities under the Roadmap signed in 2025 by the secretaries-general of the CIS, the SCO and the CSTO.
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Sapar Satayev Appointed Akim of Temirtau
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Sapar Satayev has been appointed akim (mayor) of the city of Temirtau with the approval of the Presidential Administration and deputies of the city maslikhat. He was introduced to the city's officials by Karaganda Region Akim Yermaganbet Bulekpayev.
Bulekpayev said Satayev has extensive experience in public administration, a strong understanding of socio-economic development issues, and the skills required for the role.
He also gained valuable experience in Balkhash, where he established effective cooperation with major industrial enterprises. I am confident this experience will be successfully applied in Temirtau to further strengthen cooperation with the city's backbone metallurgical enterprise," he said.
Satayev began his career in 2002 at Kazakhavtodor. He later served as deputy director and acting director of the Botaqara Su Qozhalygy utility company.
He has been in public service since 2010, when he became akim of Botakara, a settlement in Karaganda Region's Bukhar-Zhyrau District.
Between 2013 and 2015, Satayev served as akim of the town of Abai before becoming deputy akim of Bukhar-Zhyrau District. He later headed the city administration of Priozersk.
From May 2023 until his latest appointment, he served as akim of Balkhash.
Last week, former Temirtau Akim Galym Ashimov announced that he was stepping down from the post. He had served as the city's akim since September 2024.
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Kazakhstan to Retain State Pension Savings Guarantee While Changing Compensation Mechanism
Kazakhstan will introduce changes to the mechanism protecting pension savings while retaining the state's guarantee on mandatory pension contributions, the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection has announced.
Under Article 217 of the Social Code, the state guarantees the preservation of mandatory pension contributions (MPC) and mandatory occupational pension contributions (MOPC) in the amount of the actual contributions made. The ministry said this provision will remain unchanged.
From 2027, however, the government will streamline the budget programme that provided a one-time payment to retirees to compensate for any gap between the investment return on pension savings and the inflation rate. The ministry said the change is part of a broader pension system reform.
A law signed on July 7, which takes effect in September 2026, introduces changes to the management of pension assets. Under the new rules, Kazakhstanis will be able to transfer up to 100% of their pension savings to private investment portfolio managers under trust management. Previously, the limit was set at 50%.
The Ministry of Labour said that once the cap is removed, citizens will be able to choose their own investment strategy. However, the state will no longer compensate, from the national budget, for investment returns that fall below inflation when individuals opt for private asset managers. If a private investment portfolio manager records a negative financial result, it will be required to cover the loss from its own capital. Such companies will continue to be subject to strict capital adequacy and professional experience requirements.
For contributors who choose not to transfer their pension assets to private managers, the National Bank of Kazakhstan will remain the primary pension asset manager. Under the law, the central bank is required to safeguard pension assets and achieve long-term investment returns that exceed inflation. According to its strategic plan through 2028, pension asset returns are expected to outperform inflation by 1 percentage point, while at least 30% of assets will be invested in foreign currency-denominated instruments.
The Ministry of Labour has also established a working group to develop further pension reforms. Experts are considering several models, including the introduction of an insurance component, the "4+1" model, a transition to recognising 40 years of employment history, and the Singapore pension model.
The ministry said the ultimate goal of the reform is to create a pension system that provides citizens with lifelong pension payments and replaces at least 40% of lost earnings, in line with International Labour Organization standards.
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