Kazakhstan Humanitarian Background

For more detailed database on disasters by country, please see the Centre for Research on Epidemiology of Disasters:

EMDAT Information on Kazakhstan

Calamities and Seasonal Affects

Capacity and Contacts for In-Country Emergency Response

Government

The main tasks and functions of the Ministry of Emergency Situations of the Republic of Kazakhstan:

The main tasks of the Ministry are: the formation and realization of state policies in the field of prevention and elimination of natural and man-made emergency situations, civil defense, fire and industrial safety, the state material reserve, inter-sectoral coordination of state control in the field of fire and industrial safety, the implementation of the civil defense activities, organization of prevention and fire fighting, operation and further development of the state system for prevention and elimination of emergency situations.
The Ministry, in accordance with law currently in force and its objectives carries out the following functions:
development main directions of state policy on prevention and elimination of natural and man-made emergency situations, civil defense, fire and industrial safety, the state material reserve, operation and further development of the state system of prevention and elimination of emergency situations;
development, approval of policy papers that address task solution of preventing and eliminating emergency situations, civil defense, fire and industrial safety, the state material reserve, disaster medicine service;
preparing and submitting to the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan state reports on the protection of population, environment and economical facilities of emergencies.

For information on Khazakhstan Ministry of Emergency Situations additioanl information, please see the following document: 

Kazakhstan Additional Information on Government Emergency Response

Note: The information provided in the attached documents, which has been taken from the old DLCA, does not match the structure of the new LCA and is therefore provided separately.

For  information on Kazakhstan Government contact details, please see the following link: 

4.1 Kazakhstan Government Contact List

Humanitarian Community

 For  information on Kazakhstan Humanitarian Agency contact details, please see the following link: 

4.2 Kazakhstan Humanitarian Agency Contact List

Kazakhstan Regulatory Departments

According to the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan passed on the republican referendum in August 30, 1995 the Parliament of two Houses of the Republic of Kazakhstan is a high representative organ of the Republic, realizing legislative functions. The organization and activity of the Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan, legal position of its deputies are determined by the Constitution, Constitutional Law "Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan and status of its deputies" and other legislative acts. The authorities of the Parliament begin since the moment of the opening of its first session and end with the beginning of the work of first session of the Parliament of the new convocation. The term of the Parliament authorities is defined by the term of the Mazhilis deputies authorities of the regular convocation. The Prior cessation of the Parliament authorities can be only realized in the case and order provided by the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The Parliament consists of two Chambers: Senate and Mazhilis acting on a constant basis.
The Senate is formed by the deputies elected on two persons from each region, cities of the republican importance and capitals of the Republic of Kazakhstan on a joint meeting of the deputies of all representative bodies according to the region, city of the republican importance and capital of the Republic. Seven deputies are designated by the President of the Republic for the term of Senate authorities. The half of elected Senate deputies is re-elected each three years. The term of authorities of the Senate deputies is six years.
The Chair person leading the Chamber, elected by the Senate from the number of deputies and by the secret voting majority from the total number of deputies of the Chamber. The candidature on a post of the Chair person of Senate is nominated by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Mazhilis consists of seventy seven deputies. Sixty seven deputies are elected on one-mandate territorial electoral district formed with taking into account administrative-territorial division of the Republic and with approximately equal number of the voters. Ten deputies are elected on the basis of party tickets on a system of proportional representation and on a territory of united national electoral district. The term of authorities of the Mazhilis deputies is five years.
The Chair person leading the Chamber, elected by the Mazhilis from the number of deputies with a fluent speaking state language, and by the secret voting majority from the total number of deputies of the Chamber. The candidature on a post of the Chair person of the Mazhilis is nominated by the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.

For information on Kazakstan Regulatory contact details,  please see the following links: 

4.1 Kazakhstan Government Contact List

Kazakhstan Parliment and Government Contacts

Kazakhstan Customs Information

For information on Kazakhstan Customs contact details, please see the following link:

4.2.1 Kazakhstan Government Contact List

Kazakhstan is a member of the Eurasian Economic Community (EAEC). Membership in the EAEC includes Russia, Kyrgyzstan,Belarus, and Tajikistan, Uzbekistan with Moldova , Armenia and Ukraine having observer status. Trade among the five EAEC countries is generally duty-free, but protective measures, including tariffs, may be applied in selected areas. The countries have not yet established a common external tariff. Kazakhstan is also (with Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus) part of the Single Economic Space (SES), a nascent common market. Kazakhstan is committed to deeper integration with its neighbors through the SES.

All goods and vehicles moving across the borders of Kazakhstan's must be registered by customs. To carry out foreign economic activities (FEA), residents of Kazakhstan must register with the customs authorities and receive an FEA participant's card. If a contract with a foreign partner exceeds $10,000, a transaction certificate has to be drawn up at the customs body as foreign exchange department. Customs registration of exported/imported goods for residents and non-residents may be carried out through a customs broker. A customs brokers is a Kazakhstan-based legal entity set up under Kazakh law that holds a license from the central customs authorities to operate as a customs broker.

For information on Kazakhstan Customs additional details, please see the following document: 

Kazakhstan Customs Additional Information

Note: The information provided in the attached documents, which has been taken from the old DLCA, does not match the structure of the new LCA and is therefore provided separately.

Emergency Response:

[Note: This section contains information which is related and applicable to 'crisis' times. These instruments can be applied when an emergency is officially declared by the Government.  When this occurs, there is usually a streamlined process to import goods duty and tax free.]

In the following table, state which of the following agreements and conventions apply to the country and if there are any other existing ones

Exemption Regular Regime (Non-Emergency Response): 

[Note: This section should contain information on the usual duties & taxes exemption regime during non-emergency times, when there is no declared state of emergency and no streamlines process (e.g. regular importations/development/etc.).]

For information on Kazakhstan Customs Excemption Regular Regime, please see the following document: 

Kazakhstan National Customs Legislation and Regime

Note: The information provided in the attached documents, which has been taken from the old DLCA, does not match the structure of the new LCA and is therefore provided separately.

Exemption Certificate Application Procedure: 

Kazakhstan Duties and Taxes Exemption Certificate Application Procedure Information

Exemption Certificate Document Requirements

For Kazakhstan Exemption Certificate document requirement details, please see the following documents: 

Kazakhstan Exemption Certificate Document Requirements Table

Kazakhstan Exemption Certificate Document Requirements

Customs Clearance

General Information 

Mark the waybills very clearly “Used Household goods and personal effects”.
Packing list should be in English or Russian.
Do not attach the inventory list used for the insurance purposes with the documents enclosed with the shipment.
Pre-alert along with the copies of the rated waybill or transportation cost on the letterhead of the shipper, detailed packing list, valued inventories for customs purposes with origin country & value per item, contact details of consignee and shipping schedule should be sent to your agent by e-mail or fax well in advance, at least 5 days prior to the shipment’s arrival.
Please ask for the consignment instructions before sending the shipment in order to avoid any extra storage / demurrage charges.

Customs Clearance Document Requirements

For information on Kazakhstan Customs Clearance Socument Requirements, please see the above table on Exemption Certificate Document Requirements

Transit Regime

For information on Kazakhstan Customs Transit Regime, please see the following document: 

Kazakhstan Transit Customs Regime for Goods

Note: The information provided in the attached documents, which has been taken from the old DLCA, does not match the structure of the new LCA and is therefore provided separately.

Kazakhstan Port Assessment

Kazakhstan Aviation 

Key airport information may also be found at: World Areo Data Information on Kazakhstan

For information on Kazakhstan Airport contact details, please see the following link: 

4.5 Kazakhstan Airport Company Contact List

Air Transit corridors of Kazakhstan are attractive for the flights of foreign airlines between Europe and the South-East Asia which allows shorten significantly the flight path. The development of regions considerably resulted in the increase of needs in regional transportation, as well as the rise of population;s income promote growth of necessity in flights to near and far destinations .
Kazakhstan has a total of 97 airports (2012)
The large area of the country and the associated long distances makes air travel a very important component in domestic travel.

For information on Kazakhstan Civil Aviation Regulations, please see the following document:

Kazakhstan Civil Aviation Commitee Regulations

Procedures for Foreign Registered Aircraft

Flight Clearance Requirements:

1. Issuance of non-scheduled (charter) flight clearances to foreign operators is performed in accordance with Order by Minister of Transport & Communications, Republic of Kazakhstan No. 359 of Aug. 13, 2010 ”On Approval of Rules for Issuance and Grounds for Denial to Issue the Clearances for International Non-Scheduled Flights”.
2. Sample form for application for non-scheduled (charter) flight:

• operator name and full postal address;

• ICAO code and flight number;

• aircraft’s type, registration number and radio call sign;

• country in which the aircraft is registered;

• last name of aircraft commander (main and alternate), number of crew members and their nationality;

• flight goal;

• presence of passengers/cargo and the number thereof;

• departure and arrival points of passengers/cargo and intermediate stop points;

• date, full route and schedule of aircraft flight, with indication of air routes over the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan and points of entering/exiting the air space of the Republic of Kazakhstan;

• consignor (full name, address, telephone);

• consignee (full name, address, telephone);

• type of navigational and communicational equipment;

• presence of foreign states’ military units, weapons and military equipment, hazardous cargo, photographic equipment;

• proposed form of payment for airport services and for air-navigation ones;

• signature of official,

Kazakhstan Road Network

For information on Kazakhstan Road Network contact details, please see the following link:

4.1 Kazakhstan Government Contact List

For information on Kazakhstan Motor Roads Committee Regulations, please see the following document: 

Kazakhstan Regulation on Motor Roads Committee Information

Note: The information provided in the attached documents, which has been taken from the old DLCA, does not match the structure of the new LCA and is therefore provided separately.

The thriving east-west trade that once spanned Central Eurasia along the famed Silk Road may soon be restored to its former glory thanks to growing transport and trade links being rolled out. Central Asian countries have been working closely together to construct transport corridors, promote energy security, and remove trade barriers. They have shed outdated trade policies and adopted new rules to increase commerce. Trade between East and West is booming again, the government has decided it needs to upgrade its infrastructure. A country of vast expanses, and huge distances, it is a major logistical challenge for those trying to do business here, it is the largest landlocked country in the world. But a new highway is under construction that will span the entire country and replace many of the bumpy back roads that make travel here such a chore. The road from Almaty, the largest city and former capital, flows through the mountain of Eastern Kazakhstan, a rural area which is believed to have large economic potential with huge oil, gas and mineral reserves. To make it more accessible for businesses, Kazakhstan plans to spend about $19 billion on transport infrastructure by 2014, especially on links from China to Europe that could help revive towns like Taraz..

Distance Matrix

Road Security

Level: Good

Roads in Kazakhstan are in poor repair in rural areas. Poor signage is common. Street lighting, especially on side streets, may be turned off at night. Drivers often ignore lane markings. Potholes are common, and are often dangerously deep. Pedestrians frequently dart out in front of cars. Visitors should drive defensively at all times as many local drivers do not follow traffic laws. Special caution should be taken if driving at night. Road rage can be a problem, especially in and around Almaty, and a non-confrontational response to such behavior is strongly recommended. Accidents involving severe injury and/or death are common. Traffic police have reportedly stopped cars to extort bribes on main city streets and at periodic checkpoints on major highways.

The road between Almaty and Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, is especially treacherous at night or during poor weather. U.S. citizens and other travelers have been killed in traffic accidents on that road, and travel at night or during poor weather should be avoided.
Travelers should be particularly careful when using public transportation and taxis. Buses tend to be very crowded and can be unsafe and unreliable. Due to the danger of theft or assault, travelers should be selective regarding which taxi they contract and always avoid entering a cab that already contains persons other than the driver.
Kazakhstan has a zero-tolerance policy for driving under the influence of alcohol. A driver may be detained by police and convicted of drunk driving for driving a vehicle after consuming one drink of alcohol, regardless of whether the driver is actually intoxicated. ( Source : http://travel.state.gov )

Weighbridges and Axle Load Limits

The Semei Bridge is a gravity-anchored suspension bridge that crosses the Irtish river in Semei, Kazakhstan. It has a main span of 750 meters and a total length of 1086 m. It was built between 1998 and 2001 and is currently in use by road traffic.

Road Class and Surface Conditions

Basic indicators of status of public roads in the Republic of Kazakhstan (January to December 2012):

For information on Kazakhstan Road Network additional European Route details, please see the following documents:

Kazakhstan Road Network European Route Information

E004 European Route

E011 European Route

E012 European Route

E013 European Route

E014 European Route

E015 European Route

E016 European Route

E018 European Route

E38 European Route

E40 European Route

E121 European Route

E123 European Route

E125 European Route

E127 European Route

Note: The information provided in the attached documents, which has been taken from the old DLCA, does not match the structure of the new LCA and is therefore provided separately.

Kazakhstan Railway Assessment

Transportation by rail in Kazakhstan is very important. Kazakhstan Railways provide 68% of all cargo and passenger traffic to over 57% of the country. 15,079 km in common carrier service, excluding industrial lines.
Economic and geographic features of Kazakhstan (its vast territory, uneven spatial distribution of population clusters and of natural resources) make the transport component of the economy one of the most size able in the world and determine high dependence of the economy on the transport networks.
Being sandwiched between Europe and Asia, Kazakhstan boasts of a great transit potential, as there is no alternatives for Asian states to link to Russia and Europe.
Relatively diverse landscape and availability of natural stone reserves allow unrestricted development of railways and automobile routes.
Automobile and railways routes account for a major share of the total above-ground transport routes (about 88.4 & 14 thousand km respectively). Total length of navigable waterways makes up 3.9 thousand km, and the total of air routes makes up 61 thousand km. Density per every 1000 km 2 stands at 5,1 km for railways, at 32,4 km for automobile routes with hard surface, and at 1,5 km for in-land navigable waterways.
At the current stage, there is a problem of poor condition of the transport sector fixed assets, obsolete infrastructure and technology.
The share of transportation costs in the final cost of the goods makes up 8% and 11% for in-land railways and automobile traffic respectively, while in industrialized countries these indicators normally make up 4-4,5%. As a result, the transport burden on the economy exceeds that on the major industrialized nations twice on average. By cargo intensity index Kazakhstan’s economy is about five times less efficient, as transport component of every 1 USD of GDP makes no less than 9 ton-km, while in EU cargo intensity is less than 1 ton-km/dollar of GDP.
As the Kazakhstani rail system was designed during the Soviet era rail routes were designed ignoring intersoviet borders and to the needs of Soviet planning. This has caused anamolies such as the route from Ural'sk to Aktobe briefly now passing through Russian territory. It also means routes might not now suit modern day Kazakhstani needs.

International transport corridors cross the territory of Kazakhstan and are formed on the basis of transport infrastructure existing in the country:

Northern Corridor of Trans-Asian Railway Main (TARM): Western Europe – China, Korean Peninsula and Japan via Russian and Kazakhstan (section Dostyk – Aktogai - Sayak – Mointy – Astana – Petropavlovsk (Presnogorkovskaya)).

Southern Corridor of TARM: South-Eastern Europe – China and South-Eastern Asia via Turkey, Iran, Central Asian states and Kazakhstan (section Dostyk – Aktogai – Almaty – Shu – Arys – Saryagash).

TRACECA: Eastern Europe – Central Asia via the Black Sea, Caucasus and the Caspian Sea (section Dostyk – Almaty – Aktau).

North-South: Northern Europe – Gulf States via Russia and Iran, with Kazakhstan’s participation in the following sections: sea port Aktau – Ural regions of Russia and Aktau – Atyrau.

Railway Companies and Consortia

For information on Kazakhstan Railway company contact details, please see the followinng link:

4.3 Kazakhstan Railway Company Contact List

For information on Kazakhstan Railway Regulations details, please see the followinng document:

Kazakhstan Railway Regulation Information

For information on Kazakhstan Railway Projects, please see the following documents:

Rail Projects

Rail project Eraliyevo - Kuryk

Rail project Korgas - Zhetigen

Rail project Uzen - Gorgan

Rail project Uzen - State Boundary

Note: The information provided in the attached documents, which has been taken from the old DLCA, does not match the structure of the new LCA and is therefore provided separately.

Kazakhstan Waterways Assessment

River shipping is performed in Irtysh, Ural – Caspian and Ili – Bakhash basins with total length 3983.5 km.. The construction of Shulba sluice in Eastern Kazakhstan was completed and resulted in reopening of navigation on Irtish river between China, Kazakhstan and Russian with up to 3 million tons cargo transportation capacity.

Company Information

For information on Kazakhstan Waterways company contact details, please see the following link: 

4.4 Kazakhstan Port and Waterways Company Contact List

Kazakhstan Storage Assessment

For information on Kazakhstan Storage company contact details,m please see the following link:

4.6 Kazakhstan Storage and Milling Company Contact List

Kazakhstan Milling Assessment

Agriculture in Kazakhstan remains a small scale sector of Kazakhstan's economy. Agriculture's contribution to the GDPis under 10%, it was recorded as 6.7%, and as occupying only 20% of labor. More than 70% of its land is occupied in crops and animal husbandry. Compared to North America, a relatively small percentage of land is used for crops, with the percentage being higher in the north of the country, 70% of the agricultural land is permanent pastureland. Kazakhstan's largest crop is wheat, which it exports. It ranks as the sixth largest wheat producer in the world. Minor crops include barley, cotton, sugar beets, sunflowers, flax, and rice.  In 2011 the country had achieved record grain harvests of 26.9 million tonnes, exceeding the previous record of 21mn tonnes recorded in 2009. For 2012, the Kazakh Agriculture Ministry cut the crop forecast to only 14 million tons because of dry weather.

For information on Kazakhstan Milling company contact details, please see the following link: 

4.6 Kazakhstan Storage and Milling Company Contact List

Kazakhstan Fuel

For information on Kazakhstan Fuel Contact details, please see the following link: 

4.7 Kazakhstan Fuel Provider Contact List

With total liquids production estimated at 1.6 million barrels per day (bbl/d) in 2012, Kazakhstan is a major producer; however, key to its continued growth in liquids production will be the development of its giant Tengiz, Karachaganak, and Kashagan fields. Furthermore, development of additional export capacity will be necessary for production growth.

Largest currently producing oil fields:
Tengiz is currently Kazakhstan's largest producing oil field with an output of approximately 520,000 bbl/d through June 2012, accounting for nearly a third of total production. The field is located onshore northwestern Kazakhstan and it is the world's deepest operating giant field at 12,000 feet. It has been in development since 1993 by the Tengizchevroil (TCO) joint venture, which includes Chevron (50 percent), ExxonMobil (25 percent), KMG (20 percent), and LukArco (5 percent). According to Wood Mackenzie, production at Tengiz is expected to increase to 844,000 bbl/d by 2020. Tengiz output is currently exported through the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC) oil pipeline, which runs from Tengiz to Novorossiysk, Russia on the Black Sea.

Information may also be found at: My Travel Cost Information on Kazakhstan which is updated monthly. 

Fuel Pricing

Seasonal Variations 

Despite being a significant oil exporter, Kazakhstan experiences regional and seasonal oil product shortages. Because most of the country's oil and gas is produced in the western part, its industrialized northern and southern regions (lacking pipeline connections to the western oil and gas fields) rely on imports from neighboring Russia and Uzbekistan, respectively. Until recently, the refining sector in Kazakhstan had not received the high levels of foreign direct investment that other parts of the oil sector have. Since domestic prices for refined products have remained low, oil producers have more incentive to export crude oil to international markets instead of refining it locally.

Fuel Transportation

Oil Pipelines

Kazakhstan's pipeline system is operated by the state-run KazTransOil, a subsidiary of KazMunaiGas, which runs approximately 5,300 kilometers. Development of additional capacity, particularly export capacity that would remove Kazakhstan's dependence on Russia, is key to its future ability to increase production.

For information on Kazakhstan Oil Pipelines, please see the following document: 

Kazakhstan Oil Pipeline Information

Note: The information provided in the attached documents, which has been taken from the old DLCA, does not match the structure of the new LCA and is therefore provided separately.

Rail and Sea Transportation

Kazakhstan has an extensive rail network, which it increasingly used to transport liquid fuels both for domestic consumption and for exports. According to Wood Mackenzie, Kazakhstan has the capacity to export about 340,000 bbl/d of oil via rail. Tengizchevroil is the largest oil user of the rail network. The increasing use of rail network for oil transportation has had an effect on the cost, as price of rail has increased since the 1990s, making it the most expensive transportation option.
Two main ports used for oil exports are Aktau and Semey. Aktau is located in the Caspian Sea and has a loading capacity of 240,000 bbl/d of oil and oil products. The port has four berths capable of accommodating 12,000 tonne tankers.
Semey is located on the Irtish river in the northeastern part of the country. The port is important because during summer months, ship traffic can travel the entire length of the Irtish and Ob rivers to the Arctic Ocean and connect to the rail network.
In addition to Aktau and Semey, a smaller port of Atyrau is also operational. The port can accommodate barges of up to 120 tonnes, however this port is ice bound in the winter. It is located at the northern coast of the Caspian Sea.

Downstreaming and Refineing

Kazakhstan had a crude oil distillation capacity of 345,100 bbl/d as of January 1, 2012, according to the Oil and Gas Journal. There are three oil refineries in the country: Pavlodar, Atyrau, and Shymkent.
The Pavlodar refinery is supplied mainly by a crude oil pipeline from western Siberia, since Russian supplies are well placed geographically to serve that refinery. It processed approximately 100,000 bbl/d in 2010. Currently, the refinery is undergoing a reconstruction and modernization, which is due to be completed by the end of 2014.
The Atyrau refinery runs solely on domestic crude from northwest Kazakhstan and it processed about 90,000 bbl/d in 2012. The Shymkent refinery currently uses oil from the oil fields at Kumkol and the nearby area in central Kazakhstan. It refined approximately 95,000 bbl/d in 2010.

Natural Gas Pipelines

Kazakhstan has two separate domestic natural gas distribution networks, one in the west, which services the country's producing fields, and one in the south, which mainly delivers imported natural gas to the consuming regions. The lack of internal pipelines connecting Kazakhstan's natural gas-producing areas to the country's industrial belt between Almaty and Shymkent has hampered the development of the country's natural gas resources. Southern Kazakhstan receives much of its natural gas supplies from Uzbekistan via the Tashkent-Shymkent-Bishkek-Almaty pipeline even as the country exports gas from its northwestern region. KazTransGas, a subsidiary of KMG, controls and manages the country's gas pipeline transportation system.

For information on Kazakhstan Natural Gad Pipelines, please see the following documents: 

Kazakhstan Natural Gas Pipelines

Kazakhstan Natural Gas Consumption

Note: The information provided in the attached documents, which has been taken from the old DLCA, does not match the structure of the new LCA and is therefore provided separately.

Standards, Quality and Testing

For additional informaiton on Kazakhstan Fuel, please see the following documents:

Kazakhstan Fuel Exports

Kazakhstan Liquid Production

Kazakhstan Gas Production

Kazakhstan Natural Gas Imports and Exports

Kazakhstan Fuel Additional Information

Note: The information provided in the attached documents, which has been taken from the old DLCA, does not match the structure of the new LCA and is therefore provided separately.

Kazakhstan Transporters

For information on Kazakhstan Transporters Company contact details, please see the following link: 

4.8 Kazakhstan Transporter Contact List

Kazakhstan Additional Service Providers: Vehicle Rental, Taxi Companies, Freight Forwarding Agents, Handling Equipment, Power Generation and ISPs

For information on Kazakhstan Additional Service Provider contact details, please see the following link: 

4.9 Kazakhstan Additional Service Provision Contact List

Taxi Companies

Taxis usually cost (€2 to €6 within city). There is no need to use official taxis in most cities, basically it can be stopped almost any car on the street by raising your hand. but in Karaganda the best way is one of taxis by phone.
Taxis to the airport vary greatly in price. Any foreigner will be quoted a very expensive rate but usually cabs will come down once they see they aren't going to be able to get that much. Do not accept the first price as it will result in your being overcharged. It should be less than USD10, although it can never be guaranteed that a foreigner will get that price. A better option are the minibuses and buses that go to the airport. The word "airport" is very similar in Russian and English.
A common way to get around is by unofficial taxis. Any time of day, just wave your hand and someone will stop. Locals do this all the time. Negotiate the price and destination before you agree to go. About $2-$4 is fair for a ride within the center of Almaty. If your Russian is poor or non-existent, you will be charged a lot more than locals; to avoid this, try to use public buses as much as you can and don't hesitate to tell the driver how much you are ready to pay. Do not get in a car if more than one person is driving. Also, do not take these kind of taxis for long distances or anywhere that goes through remote areas, as there are frequent robberies, especially of foreigners. Always try to have exact amount of money in cash since usually they will not give you change. 

Electricity and Power 

Kazakhstan is one of the first countries of former Soviet Union that has developed a functioning electric power market. As a result of the reforms in the 90s:

• Division of power sector into competitive entities and regulated monopolies

• Large scale privatization of generation

• Creation of the Kazakhstan Electricity Grid Operating Company (KEGOC)

• Formation of regional distribution companies (RECs.

The Concept of further development of market relations in the Kazakhstan power sector was approved in February of 2004. The Kazakhstan Electricity Law was passed in July 2004, providing framework for power market development.

• Total installed electricity capacity (2010): 19,127 MW

• Available capacity: 1,821 MW.

• Power Generation (2009): 78.4 billion kWh

• Fossil fuel 90.7 %

• Hydro: 9.3 %

There are 71 power stations, including five hydroelectric plants. This represents an installed capacity of approximately 19,400 MW, and available output 15,300 MW. At the moment, 85.5% of Kazakhstan’s electricity comes from coal-fired plants and 8.7% from hydroelectric sources. The coal fired plants are located in north coal producing regions. Hydroelectric facilities are located mostly along the Irtysh River. The southern regions of Kazakhstan do not have an enough energy resources and electricity consumption is covered by import from the Kyrgyz Republic.
Kazakhstan total primary energy supply (excluding electricity trade) was 65,835 ktoe in 2009. Share of TPES was the following:

• Coal/peat: 47.9%

• Gas:29.1 %

• Oil: 21.8%

• Hydro: 0.9%

• Combined renewable and waste: 0.2%.

Internet Service Providers (ISPs)

Liberalization of the telecommunications market in 2004 increased competition among the five licensed operators: KazakhTelecom (the former state monopoly, now with 51 percent state participation), Transtelecom, Kaztranscom, Arna (DUCAT), and Astel. The first-tier ISPs with international Internet connections and their own infrastructure are KazakhTelecom, Nursat, Transtelecom, Kaztranscom, Arna, Astel, and TNS Plus.
There are approximately 100 second-tier ISPs that are purchasing Internet traffic from the first-tier ISPs. They include:

• Kcell (3G)

• INTELSOFT (cable)

• AlmaTV (cable access)

• Beeline (3G, cable)

• DigitalTV (WiMax)

• Jet3G (3G)

• Nursat

• Sekatel

• SputTV (satellite access)

• 2Day telecom (Dial-UP)

Market liberalization has not been completely carried out, as there are restrictions on foreign ownership for fixed-line operators providing long-distance and international services. In addition, KazakhTelecom retains dominance over the telecommunications market, making it difficult for other operators to compete. KazakhTelecom is also launching an interactive IP TV service (11 of March 2009), as it attempts to maintain its dominance in the fixed-line market. Other leading first-tier ISPs, Nursat and Astel, operate terrestrial and satellite-based infrastructure. There are five mobile operators in the country. Three operators are offering GSM services and two CDMA. The government estimates that 60 percent of the population uses mobile services. One of the largest ISPs, Arna (DUCAT), accused KazakhTelecom of breaching the Law for Promoting Competition and Limiting Monopolist Activities. Arna claimed that KazakhTelecom used uncertified systems that monitor and interfere with the telecommunications of customers who are using services offered by competing companies. An investigation of the Kazakh government revealed that such systems indeed existed and were used by KazakhTelecom, but no evidence was found to prove KazakhTelecom was intentionally interfering with competitor activities

Kazakhstan Telecommunications 

For information on Kazakhstan Telecommunications company contact details, please see the following link: 

4.9 Kazakhstan Additional Service Provision Contact List

Although growth slowed significantly in 2009, Kazakhstan has continued to experience a booming telecom market and coming into 2013 it included a mobile penetration of 170% and an impressive 49 internet users per 100 people. This healthy market has come about on the back of a growing economy (despite a few recent setbacks) and a program of positive regulatory reform within the telecom sector. Legislation adopted in 2004 largely laid the foundation for liberalisation and development of the country’s telecom industry and put an end to the monopoly enjoyed by Kazakhtelecom, the state-controlled telecom operator.
The rapid and successful development of telecommunications in the country encouraged a number of foreign companies – both service providers and suppliers - to establish a presence in this emerging market. Since 1992, international operators and manufacturers have been active in Kazakhstan in providing services and installing state-of-the-art equipment, especially as part of the country’s international telecom network. Companies such as Motorola, Lucent, Siemens, Alcatel, Nokia, Daewoo and Nortel Networks have all been active in the market. Recognising the long-term potential of this market, many foreign telecom companies have been looking to invest and form partnerships with local telecom enterprises.
By 2005 four private operators had been licensed to provide international and long-distance services in competition with the incumbent Kazakhtelecom. They were state-railway subsidiary TransTelecom, KazTransCom (a subsidiary of the national oil company), Ducat and Astel. Up to 1,500 new telecom service providers of various kinds had been licensed by 2005.
Kazakhstan has a relatively strong fixed-line penetration (27 fixed lines per 100 inhabitants by 2012), with six operators providing fixed-line telephone services to about 4.5 million subscribers. There had been long waiting lists for fixed-line telephone services over the years. Despite the opening up of the market the bulk of the country’s fixed services (93% in 2012) were being provided by Kazakhtelecom.
The country’s mobile market has been booming since 2000 (no doubt boosted to some extent by the long delays in obtaining fixed-line services). The number of mobile services had exceeded fixed-lines by 2004 and has raced on to surprisingly high levels of penetration. Demand for mobile services was so strong that in 2006 that the government went on to auction a third GSM licence (and fourth mobile operator licence), which was duly awarded to NeoTelecom, a subsidiary of Kazakhtelecom. NeoTelecom then launched its mobile service in 2007.

Of special note has been the recent healthy growth in internet activity in Kazakhstan, with the move to broadband access in particular taking place at a rapid rate. Fixed broadband subscribers as a proportion of the population had reached a healthy 6% by 2011, with the market likely to continue its current rapid expansion. (Note: It was difficult to obtain a full statistical picture of the internet market in Kazakhstan, with indicators often not being unavailable or the information was conflicting.)
After a decade of particularly strong growth in Kazakhstan’s mobile market, there has been a marked slowing;
With mobile penetration over 160% in early 2013, the market was continuing to grow but was expected to start saturating in the next few years. Broadband internet was quickly expanding on top of a general upturn in demand for internet services;
There had been a significant shift to broadband access in 2009 and by 2012 an estimated 60% of internet subscribers were using broadband (Note: there were some inconsistencies in the publicly available market statistics for internet services);
Incumbent Kazakhtelecom continues to maintain a considerable presence across the market; however, this strong presence has not stopped the development of a diversified market that offers an energetic and competitive business environment, especially in the mobile sector. GSM Kazakhstan (K’Cell) went with an IPO in late 2012, selling off some 25% of shares in the company; 

NOTE: To Obtain subscription ID (the original of ID or passport) , home address; mailing address , e-mail is required

Telecommunication Regulation

The Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC) is the main policymaker and regulator in the telecommunications market. The Agency for Informatization and Communication (AIC), a central executive body in the IT field, is authorized to implement state policy in telecommunications and information technology development industries, exercise control in these sectors, and issue licenses to every type of telecommunications service. The Security Council (SC), a body chaired by the president, is responsible for drafting decisions and providing assistance to the head of state on issues of defense and national security. The SC also prepares a list of Web sites every six months that should be blocked or forbidden from distribution. A 2005 SC decision made it illegal for key national security bodies to connect to the Internet (namely, the Ministries of Emergency Situations, Internal Affairs, and Defense, and the National Security Committee). However, despite this prohibition, ONI field researchers found evidence that state officials access forbidden Web sites using dial-up accounts and anonymizer applications.

For information on Kazakhstan Telecommunications Regulations additional details, please see the following document:

Kazakhstan Telecommunications Regulations

Note: The information provided in the attached documents, which has been taken from the old DLCA, does not match the structure of the new LCA and is therefore provided separately.

For information on Kazakhstan Telecommunications company contact details, please see the following link: 

4.9 Kazakhstan Additional Service Provision Contact List

Kazakhstan Food Suppliers, Accommodation and Other Markets

For information on Kazakhstan Food Suppliers, Accommodation and Other Markets contact details, please see the following link: 

4.9 Kazakhstan Additional Service Provision Contact List

Kazakhstan Government Contact List

Kazakhstan Humanitarian Agency Contact List

Kazakhstan Railway Company Contact List

Kazakhstan Port and Waterways Company Contact List

Kazakhstan Airport Company Contact List

Kazakhstan Storage and Milling Company Contact List

Kazakhstan Fuel Provider Contact List

Kazakhstan Transporter Contact List

Kazakhstan Additional Service Provision Contact List