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Kazakhstan Referendum

Kazakhstan Reduces Number of Overseas Polling Stations for Referendum

Kazakhstan has reduced the number of overseas polling stations for the nationwide referendum scheduled for March 15 due to the deteriorating security situation in the Middle East. The announcement was made by Yerlan Alimbayev, Ambassador-at-Large at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Times of Central Asia previously reported the announcement of a referendum on adopting a new constitution. Among the most notable proposed changes are a transition from a bicameral parliament to a unicameral body known as the Kurultai; the restoration of the position of vice president; and the enshrinement in the basic law of commitments to digital transformation, economic modernization, and the strengthening of sovereignty. Some Kazakh citizens will vote abroad, but the number of overseas polling stations has been reduced in response to military escalation in the Middle East. Military operations in the region, including on Iranian territory, began on February 28. “Due to the escalation of the situation in the Middle East and taking into account security considerations, it was decided to reduce the number of polling stations by 11 across ten countries. As a result, 71 polling stations will operate in 54 countries at Kazakhstan’s foreign missions. The number of registered voters abroad is 14,230,” Alimbayev said. According to him, referendum commissions have already been formed at Kazakhstan’s diplomatic missions. All commission members have been tested on their knowledge of the law and have received the appropriate certification. “We can assure you that all polling stations are ready to operate. Information materials, ballot boxes, and ballots have been delivered. Starting tomorrow, they will be sent via diplomatic mail,” the Foreign Ministry representative added. According to the ministry, at the time the conflict escalated in the Middle East there were more than 10,000 Kazakh citizens in countries across the region, including 47 in Iran, 163 in Israel, more than 3,000 in Qatar, more than 4,000 in the United Arab Emirates, and about 1,800 in Saudi Arabia. As of March 10, 8,585 Kazakh citizens had been evacuated from conflict-affected areas, according to Foreign Ministry spokesman Yerlan Zhetibayev. “We are doing everything possible to ensure the safety of our citizens and are providing the necessary support. At this time, we have received no information about Kazakh citizens who have been killed or injured,” he said.

Senate Central Asia Caucus

Daines Retirement Leaves Uncertainty for Senate Central Asia Caucus

Senator Steve Daines has announced that he will not seek re-election in 2026, a decision that could have implications for congressional initiatives focused specifically on Central Asia. Daines has been among the most active advocates in Congress for strengthening U.S. engagement with the region, particularly on trade policy and economic cooperation with Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan, and Uzbekistan. In 2024, Daines partnered with Democratic Senator Gary Peters to launch the U.S. Senate Central Asia Caucus, a bipartisan forum intended to raise the region’s profile in Washington and encourage cooperation on trade, investment, and security. The initiative reflected growing interest in Congress as Central Asia has gained strategic importance amid shifting global supply chains and efforts by governments in the region to diversify partnerships beyond Russia and China. One of the caucus’s key policy priorities has been the repeal of the Cold War-era Jackson–Vanik Amendment, which still applies to multiple former Soviet states. Its continued presence in U.S. law is widely viewed as an outdated barrier to deeper economic engagement. Momentum for its repeal has grown as policymakers seek to expand trade with Central Asia and modernize the legal framework governing U.S. economic relations with the region. Supporters argue that removing the amendment would encourage American investment in sectors such as energy, infrastructure, and critical minerals while aligning U.S. trade policy with Washington’s broader strategic outreach to Central Asia. Debate in Washington over normalizing trade relations has increasingly been framed as part of a wider push to strengthen economic ties with the region. With both Daines and Peters expected to leave the Senate by 2027, the caucus’s founding leadership will soon depart Capitol Hill, potentially narrowing the window for congressional action on the issue.

Criminal Code

Kazakh Politician Proposes Softer Punishment for Citizens Who Join Foreign Military Conflicts

Zharkynbek Amantaiuly, a member of the Mazhilis, the lower house of Kazakhstan’s parliament, has submitted a request to Prosecutor General Berik Asylov and Interior Minister Yerzhan Sadenov proposing that penalties be reconsidered for Kazakh citizens who participate in armed conflicts abroad. According to the lawmaker, growing geopolitical tensions and the increasing number of armed conflicts worldwide are contributing to a rise in the number of Kazakh citizens involved in hostilities outside the country. He noted that groups recruiting foreign citizens often rely on deception and targeted recruitment campaigns to attract participants. “Unfortunately, the number of our compatriots who have fallen under such influence is growing,” Amantaiuly said. According to data cited by him, 23 criminal cases were opened in Kazakhstan in 2023 under Article 172 of the Criminal Code, which concerns participation in foreign armed conflicts. The number increased to 36 cases in 2024 and rose sharply to 141 in 2025. Of the cases registered in 2025, 26 citizens have been convicted. The offense carries a prison sentence of between five and nine years. Amantaiuly argued that many citizens end up in conflict zones due to social difficulties, misconceptions, or deception, often after being promised high-paying jobs. “Of course, no one goes to an armed conflict zone without a reason. Many of those who find themselves in such situations say they hoped to obtain well-paid employment. When they realize they have been deceived, they become involved in bloody battles in a foreign country and understand that there is almost no way back. Their parents, families, and loved ones suffer as a result,” he said. He also noted that in some countries, participation in hostilities as part of the official armed forces of a foreign state is not considered a criminal offense. According to Amantaiuly, strict criminal liability is typically applied to individuals who join terrorist organizations, commit war crimes, or act against the national interests of their own country. For this reason, the deputy proposed studying international legal practices and preparing amendments to Kazakhstan’s criminal legislation governing citizens’ participation in armed conflicts abroad. In his view, the law should introduce a mechanism for differentiated legal assessment. Such a framework could allow for suspended sentences, restrictions on freedom, or probationary supervision for individuals who were not members of terrorist organizations, did not commit war crimes, and voluntarily returned to Kazakhstan. The deputy also proposed developing a state program for the legal, psychological, and social rehabilitation of such citizens. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, several Kazakh citizens who fought in Ukraine as part of the Wagner private military company have received prison sentences of up to six years. At the same time, Kazakhstan’s National Security Committee is investigating stand-up comedian Nurlan Saburov. According to media reports, he allegedly transferred motorcycle equipment purchased with his own funds to the same Wagner unit.

Pink Tax

Gender Pricing and Tax Policy in Kazakhstan: Does a “Pink Tax” Exist?

Women often pay more for everyday goods, from hygiene products to personal care services. In public discourse in Kazakhstan, this phenomenon is often referred to as the “pink tax.” But does such a tax exist, or are these differences the result of market pricing strategies? Is a “Pink Tax” Recognized Under Kazakhstan’s Tax Code? If understood literally as a separate levy established in the Tax Code, the so-called “pink tax” does not exist in Kazakhstan. The country’s tax system includes corporate and individual income taxes, value-added tax (VAT), excise duties, social tax, property taxes, and other mandatory payments. There is no gender-based category. In Kazakhstan, the term is generally used to describe a potential “gender markup,” where products marketed to women are priced higher than comparable versions aimed at men, even when their features are largely the same. These differences are most often observed in items such as razors, shower gels, and other personal care products, where variation may be limited to packaging or branding. However, Kazakhstan lacks large-scale, representative studies on the issue. Most claims are based on retail observations and isolated price comparisons rather than comprehensive market research. How Tax Policy Affects Essential Hygiene Products: VAT and the “Tampon Tax” Public debate increasingly uses the term “tampon tax” to describe situations where menstrual hygiene products are subject to the standard VAT rate rather than a reduced rate applied to essential goods. Starting January 1, 2026, Kazakhstan’s base VAT rate increased to 16%. Reduced VAT rates of 5% (from 2026) and 10% (from 2027), apply only to goods and services, including specific medicines and medical devices that meet established criteria. These benefits do not apply broadly to all health-related goods, only to items included in officially approved lists. If sanitary pads, tampons, and other menstrual hygiene products are not included in the approved lists, they are subject to the standard VAT rate, like most other consumer goods. The law does not treat “women’s” products as a separate taxable category. As a result, Kazakhstan does not levy a distinct “pink tax” but applies uniform VAT rules. The broader policy debate centers on whether menstrual products should be classified as essential goods for tax purposes. The social dimension is significant. According to the World Bank and UNFPA, menstrual poverty refers to limited access to hygiene products and related services such as water, sanitation, healthcare, and education. A survey conducted in Kazakhstan by Umai Cup and SOAS (2,116 participants) found that 25% of respondents had no access to hygiene products during their first menstruation, 66% used improvised materials, and 10% missed school due to an inability to purchase sanitary pads. When a recurring monthly product is taxed at the full VAT rate and rises in price along with inflation, the financial burden falls disproportionately on low-income women. For students, single mothers, and mothers of large families, this may translate into restricted access to basic hygiene. Why the “Pink Tax” Has a Greater Impact at Lower Income Levels Even without normative judgments, the economic...

Agriculture

Farmers, Courts, and Investors: Examining Recent Land Disputes in Uzbekistan

Uzbekistan’s agricultural sector is once again in the spotlight following a recent report by Human Rights Watch and the Uzbek Forum for Human Rights, which raised concerns about the treatment of cotton and wheat farmers under what it describes as a coercive state production system. At the same time, local agricultural representatives argue that the situation is more complex and that recent legal and institutional changes have improved farmers’ ability to defend their rights. The debate intensified earlier this year after complaints from farmers in parts of the Syrdarya region, particularly in the Xovos district, regarding land seizures linked to failure to meet so-called “normative yield” requirements. Komoliddin Ikromov, head of the Agrobiznes Association, has been among the most vocal local figures commenting on these developments. State Plan Abolished, but Normative Yields Remain According to Ikromov, it is important to distinguish between the former state production plan and the current regulatory framework. “There is no state plan now,” he said. “The state order was abolished in 2020. What exists today is the concept of rational land use. If a farm’s yield falls below the normative level for three consecutive years, then the land may be withdrawn, but only through a court decision.” While cotton state procurement was abolished beginning with the 2020 harvest, reforms affecting wheat and grain procurement were phased in and linked to the 2021 harvest. Ikromov referred to Article 36 of the Land Code, which sets out the procedure for termination of land-use rights where land is used irrationally or in violation of law. Detailed criteria — such as persistent underperformance relative to normative yield levels — are established in related regulatory acts rather than in the Land Code text itself. “Under current legislation, the khokim (local governor) cannot independently seize land,” Ikromov said. “The case must be submitted to the court. Only a court can decide.” Ikromov cited reforms adopted beginning in 2022 and subsequently strengthened by presidential measures in 2024, which expanded electronic auction procedures and curtailed direct administrative land allocation. Complaints from Farmers Beginning in January, the Agrobiznes Association started receiving complaints from farmers, mainly in Syrdarya. “I personally received about 50 to 60 appeals,” Ikromov said. “In total, there were more than 100 messages, mostly through Telegram.” According to him, many complaints concerned pressure to voluntarily surrender land leases through notarized statements. Farmers alleged that they were being encouraged or pressured to go to a notary and sign documents relinquishing their land. “These were not isolated cases,” he said. “In some districts, it was widespread. But after the issue was raised publicly, the process shifted. Now cases are going through courts.” Ikromov noted that unusual weather conditions contributed to the problem. Heatwaves and water shortages in 2024 made it difficult for some farmers to meet normative yield levels. In areas like Xovos, where soil fertility is relatively low, he said, agricultural production is already more challenging. Legal Process and Court Outcomes Following public attention, including Ikromov’s interview with the Uzbek outlet Kun.uz, land disputes increasingly...

Water Management

Kazakhstan’s Reservoirs Prepared for Spring Flooding

Kazakhstan’s authorities have announced that the country’s water management infrastructure is prepared for the spring flood period. According to the Ministry of Water Resources and Irrigation, the total available storage capacity in the country’s large reservoirs exceeds the projected volume of snowmelt inflows, with the highest water levels currently recorded in the eastern regions. Flood preparedness has remained a priority for the government since 2024, when Kazakhstan experienced its most severe spring flooding in 80 years. The disaster affected dozens of settlements and forced the evacuation of more than 120,000 people, drawing sharp criticism of local authorities. In response, the central government intensified coordination efforts and preventive measures. As of February, the ministry reported that the total available storage capacity in large reservoirs exceeds 14.3 billion cubic meters. Projected spring inflows are estimated at between 9.1 billion and 13.9 billion cubic meters. The ministry also announced inspections of hydraulic infrastructure and ongoing repair work at 39 facilities. Major repairs have been completed at the Charske Reservoir in the Abai region, the Akzhar Reservoir in Shymkent, the Sholak Dam in the Aktobe region, and the reconstructed dam in the village of Stepnoye in the Kostanay region. In addition, riverbed preparation measures are underway. Under the 2025-2027 Roadmap for River Rehabilitation, nearly 167 kilometers of riverbeds in western, central, and northern regions have already been cleaned and deepened. In 2026, similar work is planned across six additional regions, covering approximately 193 kilometers. Kazakhstan has also strengthened coordination with neighboring countries. In 2025, a joint working group was established with Russia to address flooding and elevated water levels, including along the transboundary Ural River. The final forecast for water levels in the basin is expected in early March. According to Kazakh officials, the Russian side has stated that water discharges from the Iriklinskoye Reservoir during the flood period will not exceed 200 cubic meters per second. An emergency notification and monitoring system for transboundary water flows along the Irtysh River is also in operation with China, including regular exercises and communication checks. The Times of Central Asia previously reported that in 2025 Kazakhstan began releasing water from key reservoirs as early as January to increase available storage capacity ahead of the spring flood season.