Development and Approval of the “Kazakh Whisky” Standard

This year, the Association developed the national standard “Kazakh Whisky,” which opens up new opportunities for the development of domestic production (approved by Order No. 11-НҚ of the Committee for Technical Regulation and Metrology of the Ministry of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated February 25, 2026).

The adoption of this standard is an important event not only for the industry but also for the entire economy of Kazakhstan. Having a national standard will enable domestic enterprises to invest in whisky production, implement modern technologies, and develop new high-margin grain processing sectors.

In addition, the emergence of Kazakh whisky creates opportunities for promoting a new product category both in the domestic market and internationally.

Combating the Illegal Trade of Excisable Products

To protect the legitimate market, ensure fair competition, and prevent the distribution of products of questionable origin that may pose a threat to consumers’ health, the Association’s internal security service continuously monitors retail outlets across various regions of the country, analyzes product supply channels, and identifies cases of alcoholic beverages being sold without the required documentation, excise stamps, or with signs of counterfeiting.

The relevant information is forwarded to authorized government agencies for appropriate action in accordance with current legislation.

For reference:

For example, the Association, particularly its security service, conducts annual systematic activities aimed at identifying and suppressing the circulation of illegal excisable products in all regions of the country. This work includes market monitoring, cooperation with government authorities, and operational and preventive measures, which effectively reduce the shadow market and protect legitimate market participants. Thanks to the efforts of our employees, 78 criminal cases have been initiated for the production of illegal excisable products. The volume of identified products amounted to 516 thousand liters of alcohol and 453.5 thousand bottles of other alcoholic beverages. In addition, nearly 90 thousand units of illegal metering devices were identified.

Work Carried Out on Amendments to the Legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan

By Order No. 553 of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated September 30, 2025 (registered with the Ministry of Justice of the Republic of Kazakhstan on October 1, 2025 under No. 37015 and entered into force on October 18, 2025), amendments were introduced to Order No. 498 of the Minister of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan dated September 29, 2015 “On Approval of the Rules for Equipping Technological Production Lines for Ethyl Alcohol and/or Alcoholic Beverages with Control Metering Devices, Their Operation and Accounting Procedures, Except for Bulk Wine Materials and Brewing Products with Production Capacities Below Four Hundred Thousand Decaliters per Year” (hereinafter referred to as the “Order”).

The amendments allow enterprises producing alcoholic beverages to manufacture non-alcoholic products on production lines for low-alcohol beverages with capacities exceeding four hundred thousand decaliters per year, provided that additional measuring instruments are installed, such as alcohol density analyzers or alcohol refractometers for determining ethanol concentration.

At the same time, this amendment enables authorized government agencies to carry out effective control and monitoring.

Ongoing Work on Amendments to the Legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan

State Revenue Committee to Review the Association’s Proposals on Improving the Tax Burden Coefficient Calculation

The Association of Producers and Importers of Alcoholic and Nicotine-Containing Products submitted proposals to the State Revenue Committee of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan to improve the methodology for calculating the Tax Burden Coefficient (TBC).

In its appeal, the Association emphasized the need for a more detailed industry-specific approach when calculating the TBC. In particular, it noted that using aggregated economic activity codes to compare enterprises from different industries may distort analysis results and lead to an inaccurate assessment of the tax burden of individual taxpayers.

The Association proposed expanding the level of detail of economic activity codes by industry and product categories and considering the possibility of calculating the TBC at the level of five-digit economic activity codes, which would improve the accuracy and fairness of tax administration.

Following the review of the appeal, the State Revenue Committee informed the Association that its proposals had been accepted for further consideration. These initiatives will be examined as part of ongoing efforts to improve approaches to calculating the Tax Burden Coefficient and implementing the risk management system.

The Association will continue cooperation with government authorities on issues related to creating fair and transparent business conditions in the Republic of Kazakhstan.

In addition, work is ongoing to include OKED 11.01 in the preferential financing programs of Baiterek National Managing Holding

The Association continues its systematic efforts to expand government support measures for domestic producers by including OKED 11.01 “Distilling, Rectifying and Blending of Spirits” in the list of economic activities eligible for participation in lending and financial support programs implemented through the structures of JSC “Baiterek National Managing Holding”.

For this purpose, the Association has sent official appeals to relevant government agencies, including the Ministry of National Economy, the Ministry of Industry and Construction, the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Agriculture, the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs, as well as JSC “Baiterek National Managing Holding” and its subsidiary organizations.

The appeals emphasize that industry enterprises make significant investments in production modernization, job creation, export development, and generate substantial annual tax revenues for the state budget. At the same time, the current lists of priority economic activities do not allow alcoholic beverage producers to participate in a number of preferential lending and financing programs.

Currently, this issue is under interagency review.

The Association maintains ongoing cooperation with government agencies and interested organizations and expects that the decisions adopted will contribute to the further development of domestic production, attraction of investments, enhancement of enterprise competitiveness, and preservation of jobs.

The Association will provide additional information to industry participants regarding the progress of the initiative and the results of the work carried out.

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