ASTANA (TCA) — In accordance with the Land Code of Kazakhstan, agricultural land in the country will not be handed over to foreigners and repatriates to Kazakhstan, or for private ownership. It can only be rented for up to 25 years, Deputy Chairman of the Committee for Construction, Housing and Utilities Services and Land Management under the Ministry of National Economy of Kazakhstan, Baurzhan Smagulov, told a media briefing on April 19, the official website of the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan reported.
However, land can be sold for construction of houses and planting forests.
Smagulov added that to implement the instruction of the Head of State on Five institutional reforms and priorities, the Government of Kazakhstan was tasked to get agricultural land involved in the market turnover through privatization and auctions, as well as introduce mechanisms to encourage the transfer of agricultural land to private ownership.
Smagulov also said that about 97.4 million hectares of agricultural land in Kazakhstan is under long-term lease and only 1.2 percent of the land is in private hands.
The official said that the Land Code has been amended in order to promote a more active land market turnover and increase the economic benefits from the use of the land.
In line with those amendments, agricultural land that is in state ownership will be offered to individuals and legal entities of Kazakhstan for sale through auctions, he said.
