Legislation - The Times Of Central Asia

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Kazakhstan to Introduce Luxury Tax on Items from Yachts to Cigars

Kazakhstan's Ministry of National Economy has announced proposals to introduce a new law on taxes and other mandatory payments to the national budget in 2024. The proposed amendments to the tax code will raise rates in cases where the value of possessions held by any individual exceeds $1 million and is directed specifically at those who own yachts and private planes. According to the ministry, 490 yachts in Kazakhstan are registered to individuals. The maximum tax currently paid on watercraft is currently around $421 but is set to increase in line with rates paid in Europe where tax is calculated according to the length of a yacht. In Greece for example, the annual tax on 'luxury' yachts over 5 metres in length, varies from $852 to $2558, and rises sharply if the length exceeds 12 metres. The ministry also proposes to introduce excise taxes on high end alcoholic beverages and cigars. The excise duty set on imported Macallan 50YO whisky priced at $13,300 for 0.70 litres, is $1.50; on Remy Martin Louis XIII cognac priced at $9,300 for 3 litres, $0.67; and Chateau Petrus wine worth $1,900 for 0.75 litres, $0.058. The new tax will also on impact other imported luxury goods, including Cohiba cigars worth $317 for 15 pieces and Don Antonio Churchills cigars priced at $266 for 40 pieces. The fundamental aims of the new taxes are to equalize the socioeconomic situation of different segments of the population, to increase the nation's revenue, and to regulate consumption of certain goods. The ministry did however report that since the new measures would potentially reduce domestic consumption of 'luxury' goods, the cost of administering tax on such could exceed the income generated. New amendments are also forecast to harmonize excise on general tobacco. Current legislation already provides for a gradual increase in excise taxes on cigarettes. Due to reach $30.6 per thousand cigarettes this year, it is 20% below the indicative rate. In addition, the new tax code will consider the transition to graduated tax rates in different sectors of the economy, accelerating the introduction of progressive taxation, reforming special tax regimes, and streamlining and reducing tax benefits by at least 20 percent. The package of amendments will include a revision of tax administration. Digitized control will enable both a 30 percent reduction in the need for paper tax return forms, and simplify VAT refunds. Other changes include an exemption from taxes and other fees for foreign and domestic investors during the first three years of their implementing new manufacturing projects. The ministry's document is publicly available for discussion until March 27, with the new tax code expected to be adopted in October of this year.

Legislation Issyk-Kul Kyrgyzstan

Plastic Bags, Utensils to Be Met With Fines in Kyrgyzstan’s Issyk-Kul Basin

A law imposing fines on the import and sale of plastic bags and utensils is aimed at reducing the harmful effects of polymeric materials on health and the environment in the Kyrgyz Republic, according to the press service of the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision of Kyrgyzstan. The ban will take effect in the resort and recreational area of Issyk-Kul, as well as in reserves and natural parks of Kyrgyzstan. The ban was signed by President Japarov last year, since when deputies and the Ministry of Natural Resources of have been working on finalizing its details. One sticking point is that the authorities still can't decide whether to ban all plastic or to make an exception for some products. Shashlyk vendor, Issyk-Kul; Photo: TCA "The list of plastic products banned for circulation includes all kinds of disposable plastic utensils, disposable plastic packaging for food, plastic bottles, disposable plastic packaging for eggs, plastic coffee capsules, [and plastic] bags for food," the law states. But, as the Ministry of Natural Resources notes, the law is still being amended and there is a lack of clarity. Meanwhile, food vendors in the Issyk-Kul region say that not all citizens are ready to give up plastic bags and bottles. Therefore, while large stores in Issyk-Kul have stopped selling disposable tableware and replaced them with paper products and Tetra Pak substitutes, the law is poorly enforced in markets and smaller outlets. Lake Issyk-Kul; Photo: TCA According to the Ministry of Natural Resources, Ecology and Technical Supervision, the Supervision Service has not imposed a single fine so far, with only warnings being issued. However, they say that as soon as all of the controversial issues have considered, sellers and producers will be fined. So far, the law applies only to sellers and manufacturers of plastic products. Private individuals can use bags, bottles and disposable tableware. In January of this year, the Issyk-Kul Region became the first in the country where a ban on the circulation of plastic was introduced. From 2027, the law will be expanded to ban the use of plastic containers throughout the country. Businesses are not satisfied, however, complaining that their opinion was not taken into account in drafting the law. In their opinion, it would have been better to prescribe economic incentives for businesses. Currently, they argue, all soft drinks and vegetable oils are bottled in plastic bottles, and it's difficult to find replacements for them. In addition, Kyrgyzstan does not yet have large production facilities for alternative containers such as paperboard-and-foil Tetra Paks or glass bottles. Most plastic goods are imported into Kyrgyzstan from abroad, mainly from countries which are not planning to give up disposable plastic containers and are only increasing their production. Meanwhile, Kyrgyzstan's environmentalists have long been sounding the alarm. The biggest danger to the country's ecology is plastic bottles and cellophane bags, which can be scattered by the wind over a large area. For example, the problem of toxic plastic pollution is particularly acute in...

Families Legislation Uzbekistan Central Asia

Uzbek Children for Sale: What Compels Mothers to Part With Their Young Ones?

In Uzbekistan, yet more cases of children being sold have been uncovered by officers of the State Security Service. Law enforcement officers recently detained women trying to sell their children in four cities in Uzbekistan. A 29-year-old resident of Namangan tried to sell her ten-year-old son for $18,000 and was detained while receiving an advance payment of $4,000. A 31-year-old resident of Termez agreed to sell her newborn daughter for $2,000. She was detained while handing over the baby and receiving the money. A 33-year-old woman from Bukhara region, more recently living in Gulistan, was detained while trying to sell her two-week-old son for $40,000. And in the capital, a 27-year-old woman from Chirchik was detained for trying to sell her six-year-old son for $3,000. Child trafficking has taken on horrific proportions in recent years in Uzbekistan. According to the World Report on Trafficking in Persons, over the timespan from 2014 to 2020, 380 cases of trafficking in newborns were uncovered here. Year after year, these figures continue to increase. Prices for babies range from $200 to $40,000. There are several reasons that drive mothers to such drastic measures. The first is the overall plight of the mother. Often they have no way to make a living, have lost their husbands, or already have several older children. Another child becomes an impossible burden for her -- which can be eased by earning money to feed, clothe, and house herself and the remaining family members. There have been cases when children were offered in exchange for an apartment. The weak state system of support for women in difficult life situations puts these mothers in an impossible situation, having to choose between living in poverty or giving their children and themselves a chance to live in better conditions in the future. Secondly, fear of shame and being publicly ostracized are major factors. Young women and girls who become pregnant for reasons deemed socially unacceptable -- as well as victims of rape -- experience this. In an attempt to hide the pregnancy and the child, such mothers often temporarily move to another city or region. This can culminate in the mother trying to get rid of the child by selling it far away from their home regions after giving birth. Furthermore, Uzbekistan has a very complicated bureaucratic system of adoption, which helps drive the black market for the trafficking of newborns and children. Because of this bureaucracy, only a few people manage to take the desired child home from an orphanage. Therefore, childless couples look for a way to get a child directly from a maternity hospital. The mediator in such transactions is often the medical staff, who negotiate all the terms of sale with the biological mother and adoptive parents in advance. The problem of selling children in Uzbekistan must be addressed comprehensively, experts say. The introduction of sex education lessons in schools is a necessity, as well as the introduction of state programs to support women in need, tougher penalties for...

Kazakhstan Judiciary Legislation Drugs

Cocaine Smuggled Into Kazakhstan From Italy and Poland Hidden in Coffee Capsules

One channel of illicit cocaine smuggling into Kazakhstan has been blocked, according to website polisia.kz. In Almaty, authorities found that a rented apartment was being used for the distribution of illegal drugs, which were imported into the country from Italy and Poland. Police seized plastic capsules disguised as coffee - inside of each was a unit of cocaine weighing 250 grams. Furthermore, Almaty police seized a parcel at a Kazpost office that belonged to the suspect. It held plastic jars that contained drugs, the total weight of which was about 0.5-1.0 kilogram (kg) of cocaine and more than 400 grams of ecstasy. In total, that's more than 3,000 single doses. It turned out that the detained foreigner had been acting as a courier for three months. "A pre-trial investigation is being conducted against the detainee for the illegal acquisition and possession of a particularly large amount of narcotic drugs for the purpose of their sale. Further measures are being carried out to establish the channels of cocaine supply in the country," said the deputy head of the department for combating drug crimes of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Bakhytzhan Amirkhanov. Possession and sale of drugs in Kazakhstan is punishable by harsh prison terms ranging between 10 to 15 years and the confiscation of property. According to the latest data, 47 anti-drug operations were carried out last year, including in cooperation with the corresponding authorities of Russia, Kyrgyzstan, and Australia. Eight international and 14 regional drug-trafficking operations were eliminated. According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the annual illicit trafficking of narcotic substances in Kazakhstan amounts to 20-25 tons, 95% of which are from cannabinoid group drugs. Most often they are smuggled into the country from Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, and Iran via the Caspian Sea. Additionally, the transit of synthetic drugs from Europe is also an issue accounting for about 5% of the total, with less than 1% in the form of opium, heroin, and other types of hard drugs. Also, a number of drug laboratories have been discovered in Kazakhstan itself, with Astana, Almaty and Shymkent considered to be the leaders in terms of production sites and sales of new types of drugs. In total, 67 participants in criminal drug organizations were detained in 2023, and 483.2 kg of psychotropic substances, 11 kg of heroin, 32.8 kg of opium, 63.7 kg of hashish, 41.6 kg of marijuana, more than 17 tons of poppy raw materials and more than 22 tons of chemical reagents seized. At the same time, more than 3,000 people were convicted for crimes related to the trafficking of synthetic drugs. Statistics show that over the last 10 years, the number of drug addicts globally has increased by 23% and reached 296 million people. Currently in Kazakhstan, the illegal drug market has almost completely moved on to cyberspace, making it much more difficult to track down drug dealers.

Labor Legislation Kyrgyzstan

Kyrgyzstan parliament urged to reject amendments to trade union law that threaten workers’ rights

BISHKEK (TCA) — Human Rights Watch said on October 31 that draft amendments to Kyrgyzstan’s trade union law would severely inhibit independent trade union organizing and violate international labor treaties to which Kyrgyzstan is a party. Parliament should reject the amendments when they are presented for a third reading, the rights watchdog said in a statement. Continue reading

Kyrgyzstan Referendum Constitution Parliament Legislation Judiciary

Pros and cons of proposed constitutional amendments in Kyrgyzstan

BISHKEK (TCA) — The initiative of Kyrgyzstan’s Parliament to amend the Constitution by a referendum is now the most discussed topic in the country. The proposed referendum may take place this coming fall. Continue reading