Kazakhstan President Proposes Three-Year Pause on Small Business Inspections From 2027

Kazakhstan's President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has proposed a new three-year moratorium on inspections of micro and small businesses beginning January 1, 2027, but the measure has not yet been adopted.

Speaking in his October 28 annual address, Tokayev asked members of the Kurultai and the government to assess whether another suspension of routine inspections would ease pressure on smaller enterprises. He said the authorities should weigh the advantages and drawbacks of the previous inspection moratorium before making a decision.

The proposal comes alongside calls to give small and medium-sized companies better access to procurement by government agencies and state-linked businesses. Tokayev suggested reserving some procurement volumes for these firms and simplifying supplier requirements, according to reporting of the address.

He cited official figures showing that recorded violations by individual entrepreneurs fell 34% in the first half of 2026, while the total value of fines increased by almost 11%. He also complained of a sharp increase in unscheduled inspections and administrative monitoring that can lead to frozen business accounts. These figures were presented by the president and have not been independently audited for this report.

Kazakhstan previously restricted certain inspections of smaller firms from 2020 through 2023. The latest proposal would create another period for reviewing the oversight system and shifting toward digital regulation. It remains a proposal for discussion, rather than a decision to suspend checks automatically from January.