RESTRICTED  WORLD TRADE  
ORGANIZATION  WT/ACC/KAZ/34/Rev.3 
2 March 2004 
 
 (04-0920) 
Working Party on the 
Accession of Kazakhstan Original:   English 
 
 
 
ACCESSION OF KAZAKHSTAN 
 
Memorandum on Foreign Trade Legislation,  
Changes and Amendments to the Legislation Affecting Foreign Trade  
 
Revision  
  
 The following submission is being circulated at  the request of the Delegation of the Republic 
of Kazakhstan. 
 
_______________ 
 
 WT/ACC/KAZ/34/Rev.3 
Page 2  
 
 The steps taken by the Republic of Kazakhstan to br ing its legislation on foreign trade in line with 
rules and principles set out by the WTO are reflected below.  
- Table of Laws on foreign trade adopted after January 2001
 
No. Title Signed by the President of 
the Republic of 
Kazakhstan 
1. "On amendments and additions to the Law of the Republic of 
Kazakhstan "On auditing" 15 January 2001
2. "On amendments and additions in some legislative acts of the Republic 
of Kazakhstan on issues of especi ally protected natural territories" 23 January 2001
3. "On land" 24 January 2001
4. "On amendments and additions in some legislative acts of the Republic 
of Kazakhstan on issues of currency regulation" 30 January 2001
5. "On amendments and additions to the Law "On banks and banking in 
the Republic of Kazakhstan" 2 March 2001
6. "On amendments and additions to the Law of the Republic of 
Kazakhstan "On mass media"  3 May 2001
7. "On tourist activity in the Republic of Kazakhstan" 13 June 2001
8. "On legal protection of layout design of integrated microcircuits" 29 June 2001
9. Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On taxes and other compulsory  
payments to the budget" 12 June 2001
10 "On amendments and additions in some legislative acts of the Republic 
of Kazakhstan on issues of special economic zone "Astana is a new city" 5 July 2001
11 "On amendments and additions to the Law "On securities market" 11 July 2001
12 "On amendments and additions to the Law of the Republic of 
Kazakhstan "On certification" 11 July 2001
13 "On amendments and additions in some legislative acts of the Republic 
of Kazakhstan on bankruptcy issues" 11 July 2001
14 "On architectural, town-planning and construction activity in the 
Republic of Kazakhstan" 16 July 2001
15 "On amendments and additions to the Law of the Republic of 
Kazakhstan "On livestock breeding" 14 December 2001
16 "On amendments and additions to the Decree of the President of the 
Republic of Kazakhstan in force "On use of  airspace and  activity of 
aviation of the Republic of Kazakhstan" 15 December 2001
17 "On state regulation of civ il aviation" 15 December 2001
18 "On amendments and additions to the Law of the Republic of 
Kazakhstan "On communication" 24 December 2001
19 "On railway transport in the Repu blic of Kazakhstan" 8 December 2001
20 "On merchant shipping" 17 January 2002
21 "On amendments and additions to the Law of the Republic of 
Kazakhstan "On plants quarantine" 18 February 2002
22 "On atmospheric air protection" 11 March 2002
23 "On state procurements" 16 May 2002
24 "On franchising" 21 June 2002
25 "On amendments and additions to the Decree of the President of the 
Republic of Kazakhstan in force "On accounting" 24 June 2002
26 "On plants protection" 3 July 2002
27 "On veterinary" 10 July 2002
28 "On Changes and Amendments to the Statutory Order of the President 
of the Republic of Kazakhstan 'On Accounting'" 24 June 2002
29 "On Geodesy and Cartography" 3 July 2002
30 "On Innovations" 3 July 2002 WT/ACC/KAZ/34/Rev.3 
 Page 3 
 
 
 No. Title Signed by the President of 
the Republic of 
Kazakhstan 
31 "On Changes and Amendments to Legislative Acts of the Republic of 
Kazakhstan on State Registration" 29 October 2002
32 "On Sanitary and Epidemiological Safe ty of the Population" 4 December 2002
33 "On Changes and Amendments to Legislative Acts of the Republic of 
Kazakhstan on Natural Monopolies" 26 December 2002
34 "On Changes and Amendments to Legislative Acts of the Republic of 
Kazakhstan on Electronic Docume nts, Digital Signature, and 
Informatization" 7 January 2003
35 "On Electronic Document and Digital Signature" 7 January 2003
36 "On Changes and Amendments to the Law of the Republic of 
Kazakhstan 'On Licensing'"  10 July 2002, 
14 November 2002, 
7 January 2003
37 "On Investments" 8 January 2003
38 "On Changes and Amendments to Legislative Acts of the Republic of 
Kazakhstan on Investments" 8 January 2003
39 "On Mail Service" 8 February 2003
40 "On Seed Production" 8 February 2003
41 "On Micro-Credit Organizations" 28 March 2003
42 "On Changes and Amendments to the Code of the Republic of 
Kazakhstan 'On Taxes and Other Mandatory Payments to the Budget 
(Tax Code)'" from 1 June 2002 to 
13 March 2003
43 Customs Code of the Republic  of Kazakhstan  5 April 2003
44 "On Information" 8 May 2003
45 "On Changes and Amendments to Legislative Acts of the Republic of 
Kazakhstan on Insurance" 8 May 2003
46 "On Changes and Amendments to Legislative Acts of the Republic of 
Kazakhstan on Banking, Currency Exchange Regulation and Control" 8 May 2003
47 "On Joint-Stock Companies" 13 May 2003
 
Amendments referred to auditing, a uditor's report and restrictions of the right to make an audit have 
been introduced in the Law "On auditing".  Add itions regarding the structure of an auditing 
organization, authorized capital amount, qualification of  a head of auditing organization, authorities of 
auditors' chambers, as well as the composition of qua lification commission on auditors' attestation and 
the new Article on auditing insu rance have been introduced. 
Additions have been introduced in the Law "On especi ally protected natural territories" regarding the 
property of especially protected natu ral territories, their organization, state natural reserves, reserves-
supporters, the order of formation of state reserv ed zones.  Amendments have been introduced 
regarding the executive bodies' competence; objects  of state natural-reserve fund and kinds of 
especially protected natural territories; legal status and protected areas of especially protected natural 
territories; concept of state natural reserve, peculiar ities of use of latter for cultural and educational, 
training, tourist and other purposes;  zoning and peculiarities of use of state national natural parks 
territories and resources from the Republican budget for especially protected territories. 
The Law "On land" stipulates:  setting up ground s, terms and limits of origin, alteration and 
termination of property right to land plot and the ri ght to land use, order of exercising of rights and 
commitments of land plots' owners and land users,  regulation of land relations with the view of 
effective use guarantee and land protection, soil fertility reproduction, preservation and improvement 
of natural environment, creation of conditions fo r equal development of all the forms of economic 
management, protection of the rights to land of natura l and legal persons and state, real estate market 
creation and development, strengtheni ng of legality in the area of land relations.  The Law directly or WT/ACC/KAZ/34/Rev.3 
Page 4  
 
 indirectly covers the scope of an Agreement on agriculture, Agreement on sanitary and phytosanitary 
measures application, General Agreement on trade in services. 
Amendments and additions have been introduced in the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On 
currency regulation" and in the Law of the Republic  of Kazakhstan "On state statistics". Additions 
have been introduced in the Law "On currency regula tion" regarding the main concepts, used in the 
Law, currency transactions, currency regulation bodies, restrictions on carrying out currency 
transactions.  As well, amendments have been intr oduced regarding the transactions licensing order, 
related to the use of currency values and su bmission of reporting and information on currency 
transactions, currency control agents.  In the Law "O n state statistics", the amendments concerned the 
extension of this law scope to affiliates and represen tations of foreign legal persons, carrying out their 
activity on the territory of the Republic of Kazakhstan. 
In the Law "On banks and banking"  additions have been made re garding the affiliates of banks, 
particularly, the order and peculiarities of licence issue for their opening, as well as commitments of 
affiliates. As well, amendments have been introduced  regarding the banks' aff iliated persons:  order of 
granting consent to acquisition of a status of major participant, enforcement measures with respect to 
affiliated persons, drawing up of acco unting.  Signs of unstable financial standing of an applicant 
upon acquisition of a status of a major participan t and legal persons, seeking the status of banking 
holding, have been specified.  Additional terms of banking transactions, composition of prudential 
standards have been inserted.  With the view of ensuring of creditors' interests and taking decisions 
with their involvement in the procedures of voluntary and forced liquidation of banks, an establishment of a committee of liquidated banks ' creditors is stipulated by the law. 
In the Law "On mass media" there have been made am endments in the used in  the law main concepts; 
order of registration and withdrawal from the re cords; mass media dissemination, official reports 
transfer; commitments of a journalist, activities of  foreign mass media representatives in the Republic 
of Kazakhstan; responsibility grounds for violation of mass media legislation. 
The Law "On tourist activity in the Republic of Kazakhstan" stipulates legal, economic, social, 
organizational basis of tourist activity.  Kinds of provided services, forms of tourism, purposes, 
priority areas and forms of state regulat ion of tourist activity were given. 
The Law "On legal protection of layout design of integrated micro-schemes" regulates property, as 
well as related to them personal non-property relati ons, arising in connection with creation, legal 
protection and use of topology, i.e. terms of lega l protection of topologies, recognition of topology 
authorship, expiry date and protection of exclusive right to topology, as well as rights of  foreigners, 
foreign legal persons and pe rsons without citizenship. 
Code "On taxes and other compulsory payments  to the budget" regulates state relations upon 
establishing, introduction and order of calculation and payment of taxes and other compulsory 
payments to the budget, as well as relations between st ate and tax payer, related to exercution of tax 
commitments.  New concepts "corporative income tax" and "individual income tax" have been 
introduced.  Wording of all basic concepts, used in Tax Code, is given.  The procedure of application 
of ways of ensuring of execution of non-execute d timely tax commitment and measures of taxation 
debt forced collection have been stipulated, the order of carrying out tax inspection, taxation of 
natural and legal persons – non-residents, their regi stration has been established.  A new measure of 
taxation debt forced collection has been introduced – forced issue of additional shares emission.  The 
institute of representation, stipulating establis hment of two kinds of representations:  legal 
representation and representation via authorised pe rsons has been introduced to the taxation 
legislation for the first time.  Tax Code establish es as well an order of carrying out an offset and 
return of extra paid tax sums and other compulso ry payments to the budget on fines and penalties, 
whereas the law effective before stipulat ed carrying out offsets only on taxes.   WT/ACC/KAZ/34/Rev.3 
 Page 5 
 
 
 Amendments and additions have been inserted in th e Tax Code of the Republic  of Kazakhstan in the 
context of VAT exemption, taxation of goods, sold to  the territory of special economic zone "Astana – 
a new city", land tax exemption.  Amendments have been made as well in the Law of the Republic of 
Kazakhstan "On customs in the Republic of Ka zakhstan" concerning appointment of customs 
procedures of free tax zone and free warehouse, peculia rities of customs regulation on the territory of 
special economic zone "Astana – a new city".  
Clarifications referred to the rules of exchange trade in securities and self-regulated organization have 
been inserted in the Law "On securities market". 
Amendments and additions have been introduced in  the Law "On certification" referred to the rights 
and commitments of a state body on standardiza tion, metrology and certification; kinds of 
certification of products, processes, works, services; requirements, meeting products security; order of 
adoption of a declaration on conformity require d for confirmation of products conformity.  
Amendments in the Civil Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan have been introduced by the Law in the 
context of priority of meeting of creditors' requirements, including compensation on copyrights.  
The Law "On architectural, town-planning and cons truction activity in the Republic of Kazakhstan" 
regulates relations, arising between state bodies, natu ral and legal persons in the process of carrying 
out architectural, town-planning and construction ac tivity in the Republic of Kazakhstan and targeted 
for formation of full value inhabitancy and vital act ivity of a human being, stable development of 
settlements and territories, lo cated beyond their bounds. 
Alterations and additions in the Law "On livestoc k breeding" are targeted for preservation and 
increase of gene pool of breeding animals, as well as reproduction and improvement of their 
production qualities.  The Law regulates activities of state bodies, natural and legal persons involved 
in livestock breeding.  
In the Decree in force "On use of airspace and ac tivity of aviation of the Republic of Kazakhstan" 
additions have been made in the main specifications of  the Decree, in the list of violations of the order 
of use of airspace of the Republic of Kazakhstan a nd into the measures, applied  to the aircraft- 
infringer of the border.  Certification and order of carrying out of the works on certification of 
aviation technique, works and services in civil aviation,  an order of carrying out airport activity have 
been introduced. 
The Law "On state regulation of civil aviation" est ablishes legal and organi zational fundamentals of 
state regulation of natural and lega l persons' activity in the area of civil aviation of the Republic of 
Kazakhstan.  Authorities of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan and competence of an 
authorized body in state regulation of civil aviati on, air companies and air routes, order of licensing, 
certification, audit, authorization for right to u se aviation technique, aerodromes, airports have been 
specified. 
Alterations have been introduced in the Law "O n communication" on use of radio-frequency spectrum 
and orbital positions of communication sate llites, order of this activity licensing. 
The Law "On railway transport" regulates relations  between carriers, organizations of railway 
transport, state bodies, passengers, senders, receivers , consignors, consignees, other natural and legal 
persons while carrying out transportation of passe ngers, baggage, cargo, cargo  baggage, and mail by 
railway transport. 
The Law "On merchant shipping" specifies lega l, organizational, economic and international 
fundamentals of state management in merchant shipping and regulates relations, related to  WT/ACC/KAZ/34/Rev.3 
Page 6  
 
 transportation of passengers, baggage and cargo, guarantee of safety on maritime transport and 
environmental protection. 
Additions have been introduced in the terminol ogy of the Law "On plants quarantine" as well as 
regarding the competence of an authorized body an d bodies of local state management.  Alterations 
have been made in state system of plants quaran tine provision, bodies carrying out state regulation in 
this area, rights of state inspectors on plants quara ntine, rights to import and export of quarantinable 
products, responsibility for violation of legislation on plants quarantine. 
The Law "On atmospheric air protection" specifies  legal, economic and social fundamentals of 
atmospheric air protection and targeted for ensu ring of ecological safety of the Republic of 
Kazakhstan and realization of rights of citizens to fa vourable for life and health environment and  true 
information about its state. 
The Law "On state procurements" regulates relations arising in the process of procurements of goods, 
works and services by state bodies, state instituti ons, state enterprises, as well as shareholders 
societies, controlling block of shares of which bel ongs to the state and affiliated with them legal 
persons. 
The Law "On franchising" regulates relations referred  to complex entrepreneur's licence application 
and targeted for development and support of franchising.  The Law specifies the content of a contract on complex entrepreneur's licence, rights and duties of subjects of franchising relations as well as the 
role of state bodies in development and support of complex entrepreneur's licence in the Republic of 
Kazakhstan. 
Under this Law the Decree of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan in force "On accounting" 
has been renamed into the "Law of the Repub lic of Kazakhstan "On a ccounting and financial 
accounting".  Alterations have been made in st ate regulation of the accounting and financial 
accounting system; accounting standards and the m odel pattern of accounting records; system of 
accounting, accounting documents and internal cont rol; assessment and financial accounting elements 
records.  Additions have been introduced with regard to international standards of financial 
accounting in the Republic of Kazakhstan, princi ples and main quality characteristics of accounting 
and financial accounting, accounting document s, consolidated financial accounting.  
The Law "On plants protection" stipulates legal, economic and organization fundamentals of carrying 
out plant protection from pests, weeds and plants diseases and targeted for preservation of yield, its quality and prevention of harmful impact on the people's health and environment. 
Moreover, the Head of the Republic of Kazakhstan signed the relevant Laws of the Republic of 
Kazakhstan confirming joining of Kazakhstan to the fo llowing international contracts, agreements in 
intellectual property protection: 
- "On ratification of an Agreement on preven tive measures and measure for putting an end 
of false trademarks and geographical indications use"; 
- "On ratification of an Agreement on mutual guarantee of interstate secrets security in 
legal protection of inventions"; 
- "On accession of the Republic of Kazakhstan to  the European Agreement on international 
road traffic of dangerous cargo"; 
- "On ratification of an Agreement on cooperati on on putting an end of  offences in the area 
of intellectual property" 
- "On accession of the Republic of Kazakhsta n to Strasburg Agreement on International 
patent classification";  WT/ACC/KAZ/34/Rev.3 
 Page 7 
 
 
 - "On accession of the Republic of Kazakhsta n to Niche Agreement on International 
classification of goods and services for marks registration; 
- "On accession of the Republic of Kazakhsta n to Budapest treaty on international 
recognition of deposition of microorganisms for the purposes of patent procedure"; 
- "On accession of the Republic of Kazakhs tan to Locarno Agreement on establishing of 
International classification of industrial samples"; 
- "On accession of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the Treaty on laws on trademarks"; 
- "On accession of the Republic of Kazakhsta n to European Agreement on the most 
important lines of international combined tr ansportations and corresponding objects";  
- "On accession of the Republic of Kazakhstan to the International convention on 
coordination of terms of cargo c ontrol exercising on the border"; and 
- "On accession of the Republic of Kazakhsta n to Customs convention, referred to 
containers, 1972". 
- Plans for the current year  
Currently draft laws of the Republic of Kazakhsta n "On investments", "On veterinary", "On mail", 
"On advertising", "On seed growing" and et c. (see document WT/ACC/KAZ/41) are under 
consideration in Majilis of the Parliame nt of the Republic of Kazakhstan. 
Moreover, a number of draft laws:  "On commercial secret", "On education", "On regulation of trade 
activity", "On regulation of trade activity", "On introd uction of alterations and additions in the Law of 
the Republic of Kazakhstan "On protective measures of domestic market while  importing goods", "On 
maritime transport", "Forest Code", "On adver tising" are in the appropriate ministries under 
finalization. 
The Law "On Changes and Amendments to the Statut ory Order of the President of the Republic of 
Kazakhstan 'On Accounting"' has been developed to trigger further development and improvement of 
the bookkeeping and financial accounting sy stems in the Republic of Kazakhstan. 
The purport of this Law is to ensure that organi zations perform financial accounting operations in 
conformity with the international standards.  This  policy will help improve investment environment, 
and promote further integration of the Repub lic of Kazakhstan into the world economy. 
The Law "On Geodesy and Cartography" has been deve loped to regulate legal relations arising in the 
sphere of geodesy and cartography.  It sets prior ities and defines order of topographic, geodetic, and 
cartographic works of national or sectoral significance,  and is targeted at the unification of geodetic 
data, and regulation of topographic, geodetic, and cartographic production. 
The Law "On Innovations" has been developed to set  the national innovation policies, targeted at the 
sustainable long-term social and economic developm ent of the Republic of Kazakhstan by involving 
the latest scientific and technical achievements in  production processes, as well as at the increase of 
the competitive power of Kazakhstani products , and improvement of standards of living. 
The Law ‘On Changes and Amendments to Legisla tive Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on State 
Registration' has been developed to improve the national legislation on state registration of legal 
entities and registration of affiliates and representative offices for record purposes. 
The Law "On Sanitary and Epidemiological Safety of the Population" defines legal, economic, and 
social conditions required to ensure sanitary a nd epidemiological safety of the population of the 
Republic of Kazakhstan.  The Law is primarily aimed to ensure fulfilment of rights of citizens to the 
protection of human health, implementation of sanita ry and anti-epizootic (preventive) measures, WT/ACC/KAZ/34/Rev.3 
Page 8  
 
 adherence to the provisions of the current legisl ation on sanitary and epidemiological safety of the 
population.   
The Law "On Changes and Amendments to Legisl ative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on 
Natural Monopolies' introduces specific changes and amendments to the Law of the Republic of 
Kazakhstan "On Natural Monopolies" aimed to define the legal platform for control and regulation of 
activities of natural monopolies, and balancing in terests of consumers and natural monopolies.  
Also, the Law contains conceptual changes enhanc ing responsibilities and increasing transparency of 
activities of natural monopolies; stipulates that natu ral monopolies be required to approve and execute 
tariff estimates, coordinate investment projects, pe rform obligatory annual audits, and allocate orders 
on goods (works, services) to winning bidders.     
The Law stipulates that the authorized body hold public hearings involving natural monopolists, 
consumers and their public associ ations, independent experts, and mass media.  The discussion of 
proposed tariffs ensures that the process of its approval is transparent and open for public 
participation.   
Furthermore, the Law includes provisions developed specifically to protect consumer rights.  Thus, 
the Law stipulates that natural monopolies provide se rvices relating to its activities based on standard 
contracts approved by the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan.  This pr ovision ensures that all 
consumers of services supplied by natural monopolies receive equal treatment.   
The Law "On Changes and Amendments to Legisl ative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on 
Electronic Documents, Digital Signature, and Informa tization" has been developed with the view to 
bring the Civil Code of the Republic of Kazakhsta n and the Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan on 
Administrative Offences in line with the Law of the Republic of Ka zakhstan "On Electronic 
Document and Digital Signature".  The Law will come in force on 1 July 2003.  
The Law "On Electronic Document and Digital Signat ure" has been developed to regulate relations, 
arising in the process of creation and use of elec tronic documents, the originators of which are bound 
to the information contained therein be means of a digital signature.  The Law provides for 
establishment, change, and termination of legal re lations, as well as rights and responsibilities arising 
in the sphere of circulation of electronic documents , including conclusion of civil contracts.  The Law 
is scheduled to come in force on 1 July 2003. 
The Law "On Changes and Amendments to the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan 'On Licensing"' 
introduces changes and amendments aimed to improve  a number of provisions of the Law of the 
Republic of Kazakhstan ‘On Licensing'  regulating relations in the sphe re of state licensing.  The Law 
contains changed conditions for re-registration and termination of licenses; expanded list of activities 
subject to licensing including high-risk activities of  national significance, activities relating to the use 
of pesticides (crop protection products); expanded list of activities relating to services provided to 
natural persons and legal entities, including:  verifica tion of the public key used in a digital signature 
and the private key, and verification of registration certificates (this variant of the Law will come in 
force on 1 July 2003).  
The Law "On Investments" gives a clear definition of investments and investment activities, ensure 
equal treatment for domestic and foreign investor s, including a number of guarantees.  The Law 
guarantees legal protection to investors operating in  the Republic of Kazakhstan, use of income, 
transparency of activities of public bodies regard ing investors, rights of investors ensuing from 
nationalization and requisition procedures undertaken by the State.  WT/ACC/KAZ/34/Rev.3 
 Page 9 
 
 
 The Law "On Changes and Amendments to Legisl ative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on 
Investments" introduces changes and amendments to a number of legislative acts of the Republic of 
Kazakhstan in order to bring them in line w ith the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On 
Investments".  
Inter alia , the Law amends the Law of the Republic of  Kazakhstan "On Farming", the Code of the 
Republic of Kazakhstan "On Taxes a nd Other Mandatory Payments to the Budget" regarding order for 
granting investment preferences.   
The Law "On Mail Services" regulates public relations  in the sphere of mail services, defines rights 
and responsibilities of agents of mail services, as well as the authority of public bodies in the sphere.  
The Law "On Seed Production" defines a legal, economic, and organizational basis for activities in 
the sphere of seed production and is targeted at the regulation of issues on organization and operation 
of the system of seed production and state control over production, stocking, processing, storage, transportation, sale, and use of crop seeds. 
The Law "On Micro-Credit Organizations" has been developed to invigorate further development of 
small businesses and micro-crediting practices in the Republic of Kazakhstan based on market 
principles.  It gives ground for implementation of a reduced procedure for establishment and operation 
of micro-credit organizations, and se ttlement of legal issues arising in the process of micro-crediting. 
The Law "On Changes and Amendments to the Code  of the Republic of Kazakhstan 'On Taxes and 
Other Mandatory Payments to the Budget (Tax Code)"' introduces a number of changes and amendments targeted at the reduction of the tax burden on small businesses and agricultural 
producers, invigorate further improvement of ta x administration, and as a follow-up to changes 
introduced into other legislative acts.  
The Customs Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan h as been developed to simplify customs procedures 
and harmonize provisions of the customs legisla tion with the norms of international customs 
conventions.  
The pivotal principle of the Customs Code of th e Republic of Kazakhstan is to provide maximum 
support to the development of the world trade via a doption of standard simplified customs rules and 
procedures, wide use of information technologies, improvement of customs control methods ensuring 
the required level of adherence to provisions of the customs legislation, as well as by opening up 
relations with fair participants  of foreign economic activities.  
The Code contains a number of radically new provisi ons, including: precise structuring of the order of 
preliminary decision-making, simplifying customs pr ocedures aimed at determination of the country 
of origin; enabling temporary storage of goods in  the warehouses of consignees, which reduces the 
volume of additional expenses incurred by participan ts of foreign economic activities.  In order to 
create optimal environment for participants of fo reign economic activities, the Code provides for the 
increase in the number of the forms of customs treatment from 15 to 17, while the term of provisional import (export) of goods has been extended from two to  three years.  Leased objects may be imported 
for a term specified in a leasing agreement.  The Code includes a precise description of the order and 
procedures of customs clearance and declaration of goods; introduces a new form of enforcing payment of customs duties and taxes – insurance cont ract (insurance policy).  Insurance, as a form of 
enforcement of tax duties payment, has been intr oduced based on practices of the customs bodies of 
developed countries (the United Stated, the European Union).  
The key element of the system of calculation and co llection of customs duties and taxes is represented 
by the issue of customs valuation of goods, moved across the customs border.  In this connection, the WT/ACC/KAZ/34/Rev.3 
Page 10  
 
 Code contains a number of articles, based on GAT T/WTO general principles of customs valuation. 
Strong emphasis is placed on customs valuation, which play a significant role in simplification and reduction of burden created by this customs procedur e on participants of foreign economic activities.   
In addition, the provisions of the Code address th e issue of maximizing fulfilment of intellectual 
property rights, and implementation of new custom s control technologies involving transition from 
obligatory customs procedures to customs control methods based on the risk management system.  
The Law regulates relations in the sphere of inform atization.  It has been developed to trigger 
development and protection of information resources a nd data systems.  The law defines authority of 
public bodies, rights and obligations of natural pers ons and legal entities in the informatization sphere. 
The Law is aimed to introduce changes and amendmen ts to the Laws of the Republic of Kazakhstan 
"On Notary Activities" and "On Auditing", developed specifically to rectify authority of notaries' 
offices, auditing companies and public bodies on issues relating to organization of control and enforcement mechanisms devised to  ensure that private notaries, auditors (auditing organizations) 
adhere to requirements of the current legislation on mandatory insurance. 
The Law is primarily aimed at the implementa tion of measures constituting the first stage of 
liberalization of exchange arrangements, and is geared  towards an increase in th e efficiency of use by 
residents of the Republic of Kazakhstan of own an d attracted financial assets; systematization of 
administrative proceeding relating to exchange  arrangements and discontinuation of licensing 
procedures applied to least risky and practicable, at the current stage, exchange transactions.  
Procedures regulating direct inv estments abroad are significantly simplified which will undoubtedly 
create favourable conditions for e xpansion of production facilities,  allow access for Kazakhstani 
goods to new perspective market outle ts, and help increase the efficiency of distribution of financial 
resources.  At the same time, the Law sets conditions for direct investments, devised to ensure the 
required level of safety of investments and contro l over financial and economic activities of foreign 
enterprises, as well as guarantees against expropr iation or nationalization of capital of domestic 
investors. 
The Law "On Joint-Stock Companies" will help st rengthen protection of rights and interests of 
investors on the securities market, and improve operation of joint-stock companies. 
- Schedule for 2003
 
The List of draft laws developed by public bodies of the Republic of Kazakhstan scheduled for 
adoption in this year as well as their synopsis is  given in the 2003 Synoptic Table (see document 
WT/ACC/KAZ/41).   
Additionally, several draft laws, including:  "O n Commercial Secrets", "On Trade Regulation", are 
currently at the final stage of development 
 
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