Kazakhstan has drafted a new regulation that would establish a unified database of individuals and legal entities receiving funds from abroad, Sputnik reports. The document is being developed in accordance with Article 56 of the Tax Code of Kazakhstan.
Under the proposed regulation, individuals and organizations must notify tax authorities if their activities involve providing legal assistance, conducting surveys and sociological research (not for commercial purposes), or collecting, analyzing, and disseminating information (outside commercial activity). The measure aims to strengthen national security and reduce the shadow economy.
This initiative continues Kazakhstan’s efforts to monitor foreign funding of NGOs and media organizations. Since 2023, the country has maintained a public register of individuals and organizations receiving foreign funds — currently listing over 240 entries.
Neighboring Kyrgyzstan adopted a similar “foreign representatives” law in 2024, requiring NGOs funded from abroad to register under that label. In Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, and Turkmenistan, there are no official registers of this kind yet, though discussions on tighter regulation of civil society are ongoing.
Critics argue that such measures could be used to exert pressure on independent NGOs and media outlets. Human Rights Watch has called on the Kazakh authorities to abolish the “foreign funding register,” describing it as stigmatizing and restrictive.
If enacted, the new decree would place Kazakhstan among the Central Asian states with the strictest regulation of civil society and media, drawing comparisons with Russia’s “foreign agents” law. Experts warn that this move could narrow the country’s civic space and limit public debate.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
October 7, 2025