Kazakhstan continues to structuralize the space for e-commerce, protecting the interests of the consumers and creating a level playing field for all. The sector is thriving.
Kazinform reports that the Ministry of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan plans to tighten requirements for online platforms. The head of the department, Arman Shakkaliev, commented on how these changes will affect the cost of goods on marketplaces.
He told Kazinform that the changes would influence the structure and it is an objective realit. He said that prices of the major leaders in the Kazakh e-commerce sector i.e. Wildberries and Ozon are competitive.
After the analysis of the data from some 400000 buyers and 10000 businesses, the ministry came to the collusion that the changes must be directed at the protection of the consumers.
Any changes we introduce, must not result in the increase in price for the consumers, said Shakkaliev. Simultaneously, he noted that some experts predict an increase of about 15% in the prices.
“The majority of experts are inclined to believe that the increase in retail purchase prices will not occur precisely due to the change in legislation, because the market has already been formed, and the goods that are purchased today are already present on marketplaces, registered and operate in accordance with Kazakhstani legislation. But there are also supporters of the idea that there is no need to register, otherwise there will be an increase in prices. Once again, those marketplaces that sell today will not raise prices,” said Arman Shakkaliev .
According to him, the Temu and Pinduoduo platforms are not yet registered in Kazakhstan, but the minister believes that their pricing policy will not change either.
— They have a product, a pricing policy has already been formed, and the legislative requirements that we propose do not imply additional costs on their part. When does the price increase occur? When there is an additional burden for those who are on the market. Currently, there are a large number of marketplaces on the market that are registered in accordance with the procedure established by law and operate within the framework of our legislation. These are not some new requirements, but a replication of existing requirements. The changes that we are preparing do not imply a change in production factors, — the minister concluded.
The news site El.kz reports that at a recent government meeting, the Chairperson of the Board of JSC Kazpost, Asel Zhanasova, stated that the active development of e-commerce will be a key factor in strengthening Kazakhstan’s position as a logistics hub in Central Asia.
According to Asel Zhanasova, the rapid growth of online sales opens up unique opportunities for entrepreneurs, especially in the regions, and also contributes to the development of infrastructure and cross-border trade. She noted that Kazpost plays a central role in creating a reliable logistics system to support e-commerce.
The forecasts for 2029 are impressive: the number of parcels per person in Kazakhstan is expected to increase from the current five to 27 per year, which is in line with the level of developed countries. Also, the share of cross-border trade will reach 19%, stimulating both local entrepreneurs and international companies.
Kazakhstan Today reported on 14 January 2025 that in 2024, the volume of e-commerce in Kazakhstan amounted to about 3.2 trillion tenge (about USD 6 billion.)
The ministry of trade and integration of Kazakhstan plans to help raise the share of e-commerce in the total volume of retail trade to 18.5% by 2029, or to 9.3 trillion tenge in physical terms (about USD 17.5 billion), almost three times. /// nCa, 17 January 2025