On September 23, a roundtable was held at the Kazakhstan Chamber of Mines, featuring members of the Chamber and representatives of government agencies involved in subsoil use issues. The event took place in a "questions and answers" dialogue format.
Government representatives included the Minister of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan K. Sharlapayev, the Chairman of the Committee for Geology E. Akbarov, the Director of the Subsoil Use Department A. Kushumov, and the Chairman of JSC "National Geological Service" E. Galiev. They shared the main trends in state management of subsoil use.
During the open dialogue with investors, Mr. K. Sharlapayev clarified the ministry's position on issues related to tax legislation reform and the prospects for implementing a royalty practice for new licenses, planned changes to industry legislation, as well as solutions to investors' local issues.
Additionally, Ministry officials announced the decision to include 3,500 new blocks in the State Subsoil Fund Management Program for geological exploration, as well as an upcoming auction for mineral deposits, with information already available in the National Geological Service. Furthermore, Chamber members were informed about the work on the platform Minerals.gov.kz, where plans are underway to automate 25 functions, which, coupled with integration with other state information systems, will optimize the application review process.
The Ministry is also working on a legislative package of amendments aimed at solving investors' problems. The draft law is planned to be submitted to Parliament in December 2024.
Similar efforts are being undertaken within the framework of initiatives from members of the Mazhilis of the Parliament of Kazakhstan. During the discussions, business representatives emphasized the investors' issues related to the lack of publicly available current information on areas with exploration restrictions, difficulties with license returns, and land issues. Concerns were also raised regarding initiatives to restore the priority rights of the national company "Kazatomprom," as well as discussions on tax stability and the transition to royalties. The problems raised regarding obtaining geological information were suggested by Chairman E. Galiev of JSC "National Geological Service" to be discussed at a separate working meeting on September 27, 2024.
Roundtable participants unanimously agreed on the necessity of continuing discussions to enhance the investment climate in the industry. It was decided to continue work within joint working groups involving other government agencies, including those in finance, budget planning, taxation, agriculture, and ecology.
Minister of Industry and Construction K. Sharlapayev proposed organizing a follow-up meeting at the KCM venue in three months to assess the work done and set new tasks.
