Astana, 28 October. In his address, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed that Kurultai deputies and the government discuss a new three-year moratorium on inspections of micro and small businesses from 1 January 2027, calling it a strategic pause to reset the control and supervision system and move to a digital model of regulation, Akorda reported.
The President's argument rests on diverging figures. In the first half of the year alone, he said, violations by individual entrepreneurs fell by 34%, yet the total of fines rose by almost 11% and unscheduled inspections increased tens of times. State control, in his words, is fairly liberal but still weighs on business through fines, unscheduled inspections and desk audits with account freezes, while analysis of business activity shows that it is enough simply not to interfere with business. He also proposed reserving part of the procurement of state bodies and quasi-state companies for small and medium-sized businesses and easing requirements for suppliers.
This would be the second such moratorium. Tokayev introduced the first by decree of 26 December 2019: from 1 January 2020 state bodies stopped inspections and preventive control visits to small and micro businesses, with certain exceptions. In December 2022 the moratorium was extended by a year to 1 January 2024, keeping unscheduled inspections under the Entrepreneurial Code. Two months after it ended, Vice Minister of National Economy Timur Zhaksylykov said there had been no complaints of blanket inspections and that inspection targets were now selected by an automated risk management system. In his address the President described a different picture: unscheduled inspections have multiplied tens of times.
The moratorium is not yet a decision but a proposal for discussion: the President asked that all positive and negative aspects of the previous moratorium be taken into account. By 13:30 Astana time, the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs and the National Economy Ministry had not publicly commented on the proposal.
What it means: The President acknowledged that after the previous moratorium ended, pressure from inspectors on small business grew even though violations fell, and proposes halting inspections for three years again so that control can move to a digital format in the meantime.
Who benefits: Small and micro businesses, which would face fewer inspections, fines and account freezes. The moratorium could harm consumers if quality and safety control weakens along with inspections; this is the risk the discussion is meant to weigh.
Background: A desk audit is a check of reporting by tax authorities on the basis of their own data, without visiting the entrepreneur; if violations are not remedied, it can end with the suspension of account operations.
We have also reported that corner shops were refused tax breaks and a moratorium on mark-up fines.
