Our People > Dmitry Pokidaev

Dmitry Pokidaev

Journalist

Dmitry Pokidaev is a journalist based in Astana, Kazakhstan, with experience at some of the country's top media outlets. Before his career in journalism, Pokidaev worked as an academic, teaching Russian language and literature.

Articles

OpenAI

OpenAI Registers as a Taxpayer in Kazakhstan

OpenAI, the U.S.-based developer of the ChatGPT chatbot, has officially registered as a taxpayer in Kazakhstan and will now pay value-added tax (VAT), according to the State Revenue Committee (SRC) of the Ministry of Finance. The announcement comes as part of the government’s ongoing efforts to ensure equitable taxation of foreign digital service providers operating in the country’s market. Kazakhstan introduced its digital services tax, commonly referred to as the “Google tax”, in 2022, becoming one of the first countries in Central Asia to do so. The policy aims to bring major international tech firms into the national tax framework. “As part of improving interaction with global digital platforms, in May 2025, OpenAI, L.L.C., a leading American organization in the field of artificial intelligence and widely known as the developer of the ChatGPT intelligent system, was conditionally registered. Now, for providing services to individuals in Kazakhstan, the chatbot will pay VAT in accordance with tax legislation,” the SRC said in a statement. ChatGPT is based on the GPT (Generative Pre-trained Transformer) language model. It can understand and respond to user queries, assist with translations, compose letters, generate code, and support learning and research tasks. The digital services tax has become a significant revenue stream for Kazakhstan. In 2022, it contributed 16.4 billion KZT (approximately $32.1 million) to the state budget. Revenues increased to 26.3 billion KZT ($51.4 million) in 2023 and reached 26.4 billion KZT ($51.6 million) in 2024. To date, around 100 international companies, including Google, Apple, Netflix, and Amazon, are registered as VAT payers under the digital services tax regime. The registration process for foreign companies has been streamlined to facilitate compliance. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, OpenAI also registered as a taxpayer in Uzbekistan in April.

11 months ago

Air Routes

Kazakhstan to Launch New Flights to 15 Foreign Cities

Kazakhstan will open 15 new international air routes this year, operated both by domestic carriers and by new foreign low-cost airlines entering the market. The announcement was made by Minister of Transport Marat Karabaev during a government session in the Senate, the upper house of Kazakhstan’s parliament. “The new destinations include cities such as Munich, Budapest, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and others,” Karabaev stated. Most of these routes will be serviced by Kazakh airlines Air Astana and SCAT. Karabaev also highlighted the entry of five new low-cost carriers from India, Thailand, and South Korea, following the implementation of Kazakhstan’s open skies regime. The additional eleven destinations are Cairo, Da Nang, Abu Dhabi, Hurghada, Busan, Osh, Mumbai, Kulja, Rome, Gazipaşa, and Samarkand. The incoming low-cost carriers include SpiceJet (India), Thai AirAsia X (Thailand), Eastar Jet and T’Way Air (South Korea), and Air Arabia Abu Dhabi (UAE). The open skies regime eliminates all restrictions on the number of flights operated by foreign carriers on international routes not served by domestic airlines. It currently applies to 15 airports across Kazakhstan: Astana, Almaty, Shymkent, Aktau, Aktobe, Karaganda, Ust-Kamenogorsk, Pavlodar, Kokshetau, Taraz, Petropavlovsk, Semey, Turkestan, Kostanay, and Uralsk. Introduced in 2022, the policy has been extended through the end of 2027. Karabaev noted that the increased presence of low-cost airlines is fostering greater competition within the domestic aviation market. He also addressed the development plans of VietJet Kazakhstan, formerly known as Qazaq Air. The airline, now under the ownership of Vietnam’s SOVICO Group, aims to expand its operations beyond Vietnam by launching additional routes between Kazakhstan and neighboring Russia. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, SOVICO Group is also considering the acquisition or management of an airport in Kazakhstan. Currently, VietJet Kazakhstan operates 14 domestic routes, four of which receive state subsidies, and four international destinations. The airline has reportedly been offered an option to manage an airport in the Kyzylorda region.

11 months ago

Aging Population

By 2050, Nearly One-Fifth of Kazakhstan’s Population Will Be Over 60

Kazakhstan is on the cusp of a significant demographic transition. A recent report by the Unified Accumulative Pension Fund (UAPF), the agency overseeing the country’s pension system, projects that by 2050, 19% of Kazakhstan’s population will be of retirement or pre-retirement age. The study, published on the UAPF website, reveals that as of January 1, 2025, Kazakhstan's population had surpassed 20.3 million. Of this total, 42.8% — approximately 8.7 million people — were under the age of 25. Another 48% (around 9.7 million) were between 25 and 65, while 9.2%, or about 1.9 million people, were over 65 and currently classified as pensioners. Overall, individuals aged 60 and older now make up 13.9% of the total population. According to UAPF forecasts, the national population is expected to grow to 26.3 million by the end of 2050. However, this growth will be accompanied by an aging trend. “This means that by 2050, on average, one in five Kazakhs will be aged 60 or older,” the report notes. This shift mirrors a broader global pattern of aging populations and declining birth rates. Life expectancy in Kazakhstan, which had declined during the COVID-19 pandemic, has rebounded significantly. It rose from 70.23 years in 2021 to 75.44 years in 2024. At the same time, the Total Fertility Rate (TFR) has decreased from 3.32 children per woman in 2021 to 2.80 in 2024, with projections indicating a further drop to 2.42 by 2050. “With the gradual decline in birth rates and increased life expectancy, fewer people are entering the labor market, and the imbalance between pensioners and the working-age population continues to grow,” UAPF analysts stated. The report also predicts a neutral migration balance by 2050, meaning the number of people emigrating will roughly equal those immigrating for permanent residence. This marks a shift from earlier decades of net inward migration. Since 1991, over 1.15 million ethnic Kazakhs born abroad have moved to Kazakhstan permanently, according to data previously reported by The Times of Central Asia. As Kazakhstan confronts these demographic realities, policymakers will need to consider long-term strategies to ensure the sustainability of its pension system and the vitality of its labor force.

11 months ago

Crypto market

Kazakh Lawmaker Proposes Stricter Controls on Cryptocurrency Market

Olzhas Kuspekov, a member of Kazakhstan’s Mazhilis (the lower house of parliament), has proposed tightening government regulation of cryptocurrency circulation and blocking access to unlicensed crypto exchange websites and mobile applications. Currently, cryptocurrency transactions in Kazakhstan are only permitted through licensed platforms operating under the Astana International Financial Center (AIFC). However, Kuspekov stated that in practice, these exchanges accounted for less than 14% of the country's total crypto transactions in 2023. Citing data from U.S.-based blockchain analytics firm Chainalysis, he said the illegal segment of Kazakhstan’s crypto market reached $3.5 billion last year out of a total market volume of $4.1 billion. In a parliamentary inquiry addressed to the chairman of the National Bank of Kazakhstan, Kuspekov expressed concern that unlicensed exchanges continue to operate openly. “Their applications remain available on the AppStore and PlayMarket, and they are widely advertised on social media,” he said. He called on the National Bank to initiate blocking of these digital platforms. Kuspekov also urged the government to audit money transfers and enhance internal controls among commercial banks to ensure compliance with cryptocurrency legislation. “Some banks are servicing crypto transactions that fall outside the legal framework. According to the Financial Monitoring Agency, more than KZT 4.2 billion ($8.2 million) in transactions were processed through accounts at ten financial institutions. In most cases, internal compliance mechanisms were not applied,” he stated. The lawmaker further warned of a growing trend among young Kazakhs becoming involved in the gray market, influenced by bloggers and self-styled financial “coaches.” As a countermeasure, he proposed the establishment of a state digital reserve, under the National Bank, for storing seized crypto assets. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, other deputies from the Ak Zhol faction have also called for the creation of a national cryptocurrency bank to further formalize and regulate the digital asset economy in Kazakhstan.

11 months ago

Labor Market

Kazakh Schoolchildren Offered Summer Job Opportunities

Kazakhstan’s Minister of Labor and Social Protection, Svetlana Zhakupova, announced at a recent government meeting that the ministry is prepared to assist nearly 1.4 million schoolchildren aged 14 to 18 in finding summer employment. Under the country’s Labor Code, minors are permitted to work under certain conditions, including a reduced schedule of no more than 24 hours per week. Importantly, such work must be undertaken outside of school hours. “To facilitate employment, the following measures will be available to students during the upcoming summer holidays: selection of suitable vacancies through the Electronic Labor Exchange, online training programs, public works initiatives, and career guidance services,” Zhakupova stated. The Electronic Labor Exchange, accessible via enbek.kz, now includes a dedicated section titled “My Summer Vacation”, which allows teenagers to register, upload their résumés, and search for job opportunities independently. For students under the age of 16, registration and the creation of a personal account must be handled by a parent or legal guardian. As previously reported by The Times of Central Asia, approximately 1.8 million young people aged 15 to 28 were employed in Kazakhstan in 2024, a 0.6% increase over the previous year.

11 months ago