Proposal to Ban Sex Change Operations in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan's Mazhilis (Parliament) Deputy Magerram Magerramov has proposed a ban on sex change operations, arguing that such procedures contradict national culture, traditions, and common sense. Magerramov stressed the need to preserve traditional family values and questioned Kazakhstan’s legal framework, which currently allows gender reassignment for individuals diagnosed with gender dysphoria. “According to the Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan ‘On the Health of the People and the Health Care System’, citizens over 21 years old who do not have mental or behavioral disorders can change their gender identity. However, the very term ‘gender identity disorder’ already implies the presence of a certain deviation,” he said. The deputy argued that if a person has no physical abnormality but is diagnosed with an identity disorder, it should be classified as a mental or behavioral condition rather than grounds for medical intervention. “Interfering with a healthy body through hormone therapy and surgical procedures cannot be justified when it comes to mental or behavioral disorders. It is an attempt to bring the body in line with the subjective perception of reality, which, in my opinion, is unacceptable,” he added. Magerramov also expressed concerns about the impact on social norms, saying that gender transition was influenced by ideas unacceptable to Kazakh culture. The World Health Organization (WHO), however, removed transgender identity from the list of mental illnesses in its International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11) in 2019. Magerramov’s speech is not the first time he has criticized what he refers to as "Western values." Earlier, he accused foreign sponsors, particularly USAID, of funding women’s marches and LGBT events in Almaty. In addition, his colleague from the People’s Party of Kazakhstan, MP Irina Smirnova, has proposed a law on foreign agents, which would require media and NGOs to disclose sources of foreign funding.

Kazakhstan’s Mini Oil Refineries Urge Government to Lift Export Ban on By-Products

Kazakhstan’s January ban on the export of naphtha, heating oil, and marine fuel should be reconsidered, as it threatens to shut down mini-oil refineries, Muratbek Makhanov, Managing Director of the Oil and Gas Sector and Ecology at the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs (Atameken) has warned. Since January 29, Kazakhstan has imposed an official ban on exporting gasoline, diesel fuel, and certain petroleum products, including to other Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) member states. The restrictions cover by-products of mini-refineries such as naphtha, used as fuel for tractors, a gasoline additive, or a solvent in paint production, heating oil, and marine fuel. While Kazakhstan operates three major refineries, approximately 30 smaller facilities focus primarily on diesel production, which inevitably results in these by-products. The issue, industry representatives argue, is that these by-products have little domestic demand and are primarily sold for export. “The oil refining process makes it impossible to produce only diesel fuel. Other petroleum products, such as heating oil and naphtha, are unavoidable by-products that now fall under the export ban. Selling them domestically is not viable, which means we may have to suspend production entirely, leading to a diesel fuel shortage,” said Abdymanap Isabayev, a representative of one of Kazakhstan’s mini-refineries. Isabayev proposed maintaining the export ban on diesel fuel while lifting restrictions on by-products. His concerns were echoed by Atameken’s Makhanov. “Restrictions on the export of refined oil by-products, such as naphtha, heating oil, and marine fuel, harm not only the financial stability of mini-refineries but also Kazakhstan’s broader economy. The government must reconsider this ban and allow mini-refineries to export these products,” he said. Makhanov emphasized that selling surplus petroleum products abroad would generate additional export revenues, increasing budget inflows through customs duties, fees, and other charges. Amanbai Sembekuly, another mini-refinery representative, warned that shutting down small processing plants, which primarily refine crude from marginal and unprofitable fields, could also halt oil production at those sites. “This would be a significant loss to the national budget, which is already suffering from lower revenues due to the ban. The export customs duty on our high-sulphur oil products is 2.5 times higher than the duty on diesel fuel, so these restrictions are costing the government money,” Sembekuly said. Kazakhstani naphtha is primarily exported to Turkey, Uzbekistan, Italy, and Greece, where it is refined into diesel fuel. According to industry representatives, similar refining processes could take place within Kazakhstan’s major refineries, but this would require setting up additional processing lines. As The Times of Central Asia previously reported, Kazakh authorities announced at the end of January the liberalization of domestic oil product prices, abolishing 11 regulations that had controlled wholesale and retail fuel prices since 2014. The move is expected to address fuel shortages, which have worsened due to price disparities that drive fuel exports to neighboring markets.