What Matters for Business

As of the evening of November 13, 2026. Events scheduled for November 14 or later are listed as upcoming.

Kazakhstan Business Intelligence tracks the developments shaping the country’s business environment and explains what they mean for companies operating in Kazakhstan or considering entering the market. Drawing on official documents, government statements, and business reporting, we pair detailed coverage with rigorous analysis and practical context. We publish in English and Russian, with the same depth and breadth of coverage in both editions.

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1. Speaking at a Security Council meeting, President Tokayev called the detention of the heads of Samruk-Kazyna and national railway company KTZ the first major corruption case involving state-owned companies since the "Law and Order" principle was enshrined in the Constitution. He said the fund and state-owned companies were operating normally. The government and oversight agencies must submit proposals by November 24 to sharply reduce corruption in the quasi-public sector. Tokayev also said some agreements and contracts had been revised because, in his view, they were signed in error. He did not identify the contracts.
2. At the same meeting, Tokayev said he had ordered a new three-year moratorium on small-business inspections beginning January 1, 2027. In his October 28 address, he had only suggested discussing the measure. A legal act will determine which inspections are covered and what exceptions apply.
3. Atomic Energy Agency Chairman Almasadam Satkaliyev said construction of Kazakhstan's first nuclear power plant, Balkhash, with Rosatom could begin in 2027. The intergovernmental agreement and engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract have been signed, but the contract's annexes are still under negotiation. Work cannot begin until the necessary licenses and other legal requirements are met.
4. The Ministry of Energy has opened public consultation on a draft order that would maintain the maximum wholesale price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) at 59,722 tenge per metric ton, excluding VAT, starting January 1, 2027. Comments are due November 27. The proposal affects LPG producers and filling stations. Exclusive.kz cites an estimated production cost of about 90,000 tenge per ton from the Fuel and Energy Sector Development Concept.
5. The United Kingdom added Russia's SIBUR Holding to its sanctions list on November 12. According to Ulysmedia, SIBUR holds stakes in three petrochemical companies in Atyrau Region, including the operating KPI polypropylene plant and the Silleno polyethylene complex under construction.
6. Russia's Finance Ministry said the government had approved amendments introducing tax oversight of prices for goods imported from EAEU countries. The measure would affect Kazakhstani suppliers to Russia and their Russian customers. The amendments are being prepared for a second reading; neither the threshold nor the effective date has been announced.
7. Clarification to our November 13 report. ARDFM Resolution No. 158 also establishes an advance-order requirement: once a client buys more than $3 million in noncash foreign currency in one trading day, or $10 million for a legal entity, subsequent purchase orders must be submitted at least one business day before the transaction. The rule applies to professional securities market participants and the central depository, with exceptions for certain transactions.