By June 1, Kazakhstan will
establish a national privatization office. This is one of the initial measures
to promote competition and reduce the state’s participation in the economy, as
stipulated in the presidential decree on economic liberalization. The creation
of the national office will not involve establishing a separate legal entity.
The commission will be composed of public figures, experts, and representatives
from law enforcement agencies, the Ministry of Finance, and the Ministry of
National Economy. The Agency for the Protection and Development of Competition notes
that work is currently underway to develop a methodology for compiling the list
of privatization objects. The relevant agency aims to minimize the risks of new
monopolies emerging.
“As an entity not operating
within the government, we intend to work as openly as possible according to the
list with the involvement of experts. The decree clearly specifies that the
list we compile and the decision we make regarding the transfer of an enterprise
to a competitive one will be recorded by the Supreme Council for Reforms under
the President of Kazakhstan,” said Marat Omarov, Chairman of the Agency for the
Protection and Development of Competition of Kazakhstan.
