Προφίλ συναλλασσόμενης χώρας Καζακστάν

Setting up a company | FDI in figures | Why you should choose to invest | Procedures relative to foreign investment | Finding assistance for further information

Setting up a company

Legal business entities

Types of companies and capital (max/min)	Number of partners/shareholders and liability	Maximum and/or minimum capital	Liabilities	Registration fees
Tovarichtchestvo s ogranitchennoï otvetstvennostiou is a limited liability company.	no minimum.	no minimum capital.	The liability is limited to the amount of share, except in the case of a bankruptcy caused by founders where the liability can be beyond the value of share capital.	State registration of legal entity, statistical, and tax registration with the local department of Ministry of Justice: KZT 2,280. Make a company seal: KZT 2,000 - KZT 4,500. Open the current account in the bank: KTZ 0 up to KZT 10,000.
Zakrytoye aktsionernoye obchtchestvo is a close cooperation joint stock company.	no minimum.	no minimum capital.	The liability is limited to the amount of share, except in the case of a bankruptcy caused by founders where the liability can be beyond the value of share capital.	State registration of legal entity, statistical, and tax registration with the local department of Ministry of Justice: KZT 2,280. Make a company seal: KZT 2,000 - KZT 4,500. Open the current account in the bank: KTZ 0 up to KZT 10,000.
Tovarichtchetvo s dopolnitelnoi otvetstvennostiou is a company with additional liability			The liability is limited to the amount of share, and if they are insufficient, they will be completed by the assets of founders for an amount equivalent to the shares.	State registration of legal entity, statistical, and tax registration with the local department of Ministry of Justice: KZT 2,280. Make a company seal: KZT 2,000 - KZT 4,500. Open the current account in the bank: KTZ 0 up to KZT 10,000.
State Company
Producer's Cooperative
General partnership
Limited partnership

Business setup procedures

All forms of companies should obtain an authorisation from Ministry of Justice of Republic of Kazakhstan. Only the companies with foreign capital duly authorised by the Ministry of Justice have the right to exercise commercial activity and to undertake legal activities in Kazakhstan.

To open a sales office, documents consist of :

- a letter of intent describing the purpose of opening, activity, local partners of the office has to be presented,

- a certified copy confirming the status of the company,

- a letter from bank confirming the credit of the foreign investor,

- a power of attorney for the sales office at the time of registration.

It is necessary that the documents are in the official language Kazakh, Russian and in the language of the country where the headoffice of the company is situated.

To open a company with 100% foreign capital, documents including :

- a copy of passport or identity card of the company,

- a receipt certifying payment of registration tax,

- a document certifying location of the company and its branches and sales offices,

- 2 copies of conditions for constitution of the subsidiary,

- a legal document certifying that the founder is a legal entity and a copy of his passport or identity card are required.

The copies should be validated. All the documents described should be translated into Russian and their translation certified.

The competent organization

Ministry of Justice

FDI in figures

Foreign Direct Investment	2007	2008	2009
FDI of inward flow (millions USD)	11096.4927087663	15774.9414952177	12649.2831776407
FDI inward stock (millions USD)	44682.675368665	59645.6254393755	72332.6153685017
Performance Index*, ranking on 141 economies	22/141	17/141	8/141
Potential Index**, ranking on 141 economies	45/141	44/141	-
Number of Greenfield investments***	33	60	46
FDI inwards (in % of GFCF****)	35.2567256876731	44.042722195657	7.73272937320473
FDI stock (in % of GDP)	42.6157851023243	44.6978459514793	66.2648138810197

πηγή:

Note: * The UNCTAD Inward FDI Performance index is based on a ratio of the country's share in global FDI inflows and its share in global GDP. ** The UNCTAD Inward FDI Potential index is based on 12 economic and structural variables such as GDP, foreign trade, FDI, infrastructures, energy use, R&D, education, country risk.*** Green field investments are a form of foreign direct investment where a parent company starts a new venture in a foreign country by constructing new operational facilities from the ground up. **** Gross fixed capital formation (GFCF) measures the value of additions to fixed assets purchased by business, government and households less disposals of fixed assets sold off or scrapped.

Why you should choose to invest Kazakhstan

Strong points: Kazakhstan needs to diversify its economy in order to reinforce its growth. It has to attract foreign investors in order to modernize the existing infrastructures, and to create new ones. The economic situation in 2008 was relatively good, despite a financial sector affected by the financial crisis. Kazakhstan has a strong economic potential, a quality banking system, and remarkable political stability, since its independence.
Weak points: The effects of the crisis were felt during 2009 and the country went into recession. Heavy constraints weaken Kazakhstan's economic potential. These are: its landlocked status, its obsolete economic structures and also a an economy which is still not diversified enough. The oil windfall has impeded the structural reforms. Corruption is a negative factor, since Kazakhstan is ranked 145th out of 180 according to Transparency International.
Government measures to motivate or restrict FDI: Government policy has been encouraging foreign investment for nearly fifteen years (thanks to the December 1994 and February 1997 laws ) with measures such as reduction and even waiver of taxes for 5 years, a State subsidy, partial or total exemption from duties and taxes on equipment, raw materials and other material necessary for the establishment of the investment. The Investment Code of January 2003 guarantees equality between foreign and local investors, protection of the investors' rights and arbitration for disputes. In practice, there are stability guarantee clauses, guarantees against nationalisation or expropriation and the right to repatriation of profits. The Kazinvest agency (website in Kazakh language) plays a major role for the foreign investors who must present their project there.

Procedures relative to foreign investment

Freedom of establishment: Consult the foreign investment laws on the website Kazinvest.
Acquisition of holdings: The acquisition of the majority shareholding of a Kazakh company is authorised under reserve of obtaining an aithorisation beforehand from Ministry of Justice.
Obligation to declare: The Kazkhstan Investment Promotion Center in the country imparts information on the authorisations necessary for company establishment.
Competent organization for the declaration: Kazinvest
Requests for specific authorizations

Finding assistance for further information

Investment aid agency: The Foreign Investment Council of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of the Republic of Kazakhstan
Kazakhstan Development Bank
Kazyna Development Fund
Kazakhstan Investment Fund
Kazinvest (Kazakhstan Investment Promotion Centre)
National Investment Funds
Other useful resources: Investment Fund
Center for Promotion of Investments
Department for Companies and Industries of the Karaganda region.
"Company creation" department on the website of the Uralsk city.
Department for Companies and Industries of the Kostanay region.
Department for Companies and Industries of the Atyrau region.
Department for Companies and Industries of the Pavlodar region.
Department for Companies and Industries of the Almaty region.
Department for Companies and Industries of the North-West region of Kazakhstan.
Department for Companies and Industries of the Eastern Kazakhstan region.
Department for Companies and Industries of the South Kazakhstan region.
Department for Companies and Industries of the Akmola region.
Department for Companies and Industries of the Aktioubinsk region.
Department for Companies and Industries of the Qyzylorda region.