Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov held a meeting of the Council for Improving the Investment Climate with the participation of representatives of the international business community and the diplomatic corps.

Issues of introducing digital solutions in the trade sector were considered, taking into account the tasks set in the President’s Address on the modernization of the economy based on digitalization and artificial intelligence. In particular, measures for the development of the system of digital labeling of consumer goods were discussed.

Currently, Kazakhstan has created conditions for the introduction of labeling: a list of goods subject to labeling and the deadlines for their phased introduction within the framework of the National Development Plan until 2029 have been approved. In addition, the Trade Policy Concept until 2030 is being developed, defining key directions and target indicators.

According to the Ministry of Trade and Integration, mandatory labeling has been introduced for three product groups. The measure has already shown its effectiveness: for tobacco products, budget revenues increased 1.5 times, for footwear – 3 times, for medicines – 1.8 times. In addition, due to labeling, the efficiency of detecting illegal tobacco products increased more than sixfold: from 2 billion tenge in 2022 to 12.8 billion tenge in 2024. At the same time, the impact on the final cost is minimal – less than 1% of the product price.

Participants of the meeting shared their opinions on the economic and digital reforms being carried out in Kazakhstan.
Victoria Justin Sanchez, Acting Deputy Head of Mission of the United States in Kazakhstan, positively noted Kazakhstan’s commitment to strengthening consumer protection and combating illegal trade.
Ambassador of the European Union to Kazakhstan, Aleska Simkic, emphasized that in order to strengthen investor confidence, it is important to implement the digital labeling system gradually, to minimize business costs and maintain a predictable business climate.
General Director of Efes Kazakhstan, Ertan Kurt, also stressed the importance of phased implementation, while General Director of Procter & Gamble’s distribution company, Andrey Bashkirov, highlighted the need to take into account the experience of other countries in this matter.

Deputy Minister of Trade and Integration, Asset Nusupov, commented on the issues raised. The introduction of labeling is accompanied by an analysis of the impact on business, while the result is not only the protection of the domestic market from counterfeit and fake products but also the creation of new opportunities to increase the competitiveness of domestic producers and expand exports. Digital labeling is a tool for sustainable market development that increases consumer confidence, transparency of supply chains, and the efficiency of state regulation.

Summing up the meeting, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov emphasized Kazakhstan’s commitment to openness and predictability in attracting long-term investments. The Government intends to expand production capacities, increase the level of localization, and deepen the digital transformation of the country’s economy. The development of the system of digital labeling of goods, in turn, is seen as one of the key tools for increasing market transparency, protecting consumer rights, and reducing the share of the shadow economy in GDP (the indicator decreased from 23% in 2019 to 16% in 2025).

At the same time, the Head of Government instructed the relevant state bodies to further study the issues raised by businesses and take all necessary measures to ensure the smooth introduction of product labeling.

#Olzhas Bektenov #International Cooperation #Investments

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