Astana, 24 June 2025
A roundtable discussion on "The Development of E-Commerce in Kazakhstan" was held in Astana on June 24, organized by the QAZTECH Alliance of Technology Companies. The event gathered key representatives from the Ministry of Trade and Integration, the National Bank, the State Revenue Committee, the Ministry of National Economy, the Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market, the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry (MЦРИАП), the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs “Atameken,” the Digital Kazakhstan Association, and leading e-commerce companies including Teez, Sulpak, Halyk Market, ZIZ Inc., AG TECH, Office-expert.kz, among others.
Key topics included the regulation of foreign marketplaces, consumer rights protection, and support for domestic businesses.
Opening the session, Vice Minister of Trade and Integration Aset Nusupov highlighted Kazakhstan’s strong momentum in the e-commerce sector:
“E-commerce volumes have increased sevenfold over the past five years, reaching 3.2 trillion tenge. Our goal is for one in every five purchases in the country to be made online. To support this, we approved a comprehensive industry development plan in March, which includes legislative reforms, updates to the tax system, and enhanced consumer guarantees,” Nusupov said.
Alexander Dauranov, Research and Analytics Advisor to the QAZTECH Alliance, presented an in-depth analysis of current industry trends. He noted that e-commerce remains one of the most dynamic sectors of Kazakhstan’s economy, with real annual growth averaging 30% from 2021 to 2024 and generating approximately 90,000 new jobs each year.
“E-commerce is growing in a decentralized way, which makes its expansion genuinely inclusive. It’s not just about rising sales — it’s creating real jobs and income, even beyond major cities. In many rural areas, e-commerce has emerged as the second most significant sector after agriculture,” Dauranov said.
He also emphasized a growing challenge facing the sector: the rising share of cross-border e-commerce. In 2024, Kazakhstani consumers spent 628 billion tenge on purchases from foreign online stores. Without changes to the current model, Kazakhstan risks losing part of its economic potential and domestic employment opportunities.
To address this, the QAZTECH Alliance proposed a two-tier regulatory framework for cross-border e-commerce:
“The cross-border e-commerce market in Kazakhstan must not remain unregulated. We’re proposing an approach that fosters equal conditions for all market participants without stifling competition. Similar systems are already in place across the EU, the U.S., and China,” Dauranov emphasized.
Vice Minister of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Aset Nusupov, affirmed that e-commerce regulation is a central focus of government efforts. In the context of the upcoming Tax Code and the draft law "On Consumer Rights Protection", key provisions are being considered - including the legal status of marketplaces, accountability for dishonest sellers, and the introduction of new tools to defend consumer rights.
The roundtable concluded with participants expressing their readiness to continue working together on developing sustainable mechanisms for regulating e-commerce in Kazakhstan.
A roundtable discussion on "The Development of E-Commerce in Kazakhstan" was held in Astana on June 24, organized by the QAZTECH Alliance of Technology Companies. The event gathered key representatives from the Ministry of Trade and Integration, the National Bank, the State Revenue Committee, the Ministry of National Economy, the Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market, the Ministry of Digital Development, Innovation and Aerospace Industry (MЦРИАП), the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs “Atameken,” the Digital Kazakhstan Association, and leading e-commerce companies including Teez, Sulpak, Halyk Market, ZIZ Inc., AG TECH, Office-expert.kz, among others.
Key topics included the regulation of foreign marketplaces, consumer rights protection, and support for domestic businesses.
Opening the session, Vice Minister of Trade and Integration Aset Nusupov highlighted Kazakhstan’s strong momentum in the e-commerce sector:
“E-commerce volumes have increased sevenfold over the past five years, reaching 3.2 trillion tenge. Our goal is for one in every five purchases in the country to be made online. To support this, we approved a comprehensive industry development plan in March, which includes legislative reforms, updates to the tax system, and enhanced consumer guarantees,” Nusupov said.
Alexander Dauranov, Research and Analytics Advisor to the QAZTECH Alliance, presented an in-depth analysis of current industry trends. He noted that e-commerce remains one of the most dynamic sectors of Kazakhstan’s economy, with real annual growth averaging 30% from 2021 to 2024 and generating approximately 90,000 new jobs each year.
“E-commerce is growing in a decentralized way, which makes its expansion genuinely inclusive. It’s not just about rising sales — it’s creating real jobs and income, even beyond major cities. In many rural areas, e-commerce has emerged as the second most significant sector after agriculture,” Dauranov said.
He also emphasized a growing challenge facing the sector: the rising share of cross-border e-commerce. In 2024, Kazakhstani consumers spent 628 billion tenge on purchases from foreign online stores. Without changes to the current model, Kazakhstan risks losing part of its economic potential and domestic employment opportunities.
To address this, the QAZTECH Alliance proposed a two-tier regulatory framework for cross-border e-commerce:
- Tier 1 – Base requirements: VAT collection upon parcel receipt, inspection and processing fees, product safety checks, and real-time data analytics.
- Tier 2 – Voluntary registration of foreign online retailers, under which they gain access to a “green corridor” provided they meet certain standards: disclosure of product and seller information, compliance with quality requirements, accountability for returns, and adherence to consumer rights protections.
“The cross-border e-commerce market in Kazakhstan must not remain unregulated. We’re proposing an approach that fosters equal conditions for all market participants without stifling competition. Similar systems are already in place across the EU, the U.S., and China,” Dauranov emphasized.
Vice Minister of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Aset Nusupov, affirmed that e-commerce regulation is a central focus of government efforts. In the context of the upcoming Tax Code and the draft law "On Consumer Rights Protection", key provisions are being considered - including the legal status of marketplaces, accountability for dishonest sellers, and the introduction of new tools to defend consumer rights.
The roundtable concluded with participants expressing their readiness to continue working together on developing sustainable mechanisms for regulating e-commerce in Kazakhstan.