An informal session brought together telecommunications industry professionals and guest expert Richard Gibbon (UAE), Partner in Government and Police Investigations, Corporate Crime, and ESG Compliance.

Richard shared his hands-on experience in economic sanctions, anti-corruption compliance, OFAC cooperation, crisis management, and advising international businesses across the Middle East, Europe, and Asia.

The session took place in an open dialogue format, providing a platform for discussing pressing issues in international compliance and sustainability.

In 2025, U-Intero ISO experts delivered a series of seminars for compliance officers of the Samruk-Kazyna Group as part of the modular “Samruk Compliance Academy” program.

The program consisted of three modules: Anti-Corruption Compliance, Corporate Compliance, and Compliance Function Management.

The training brought together over 100 participants from the largest companies of the Samruk-Kazyna Group, including KazMunayGas, Kazatomprom, Kazpost, KTZ (Kazakhstan Temir Zholy), Kazakhtelecom, and other Companies.

Participants received certificates upon successful completion of the program.

A meeting was held for compliance officers of the Samruk-Kazyna Group with international experts — Ersen Betersen, Head of Legal, Risk and Compliance at Crowd1 Network Services LLC (Dubai), and Narmina Gardashkhanova, Head of Corporate Governance, Ethics and Compliance at Neqsol Holding.

The discussion focused on the development and enhancement of the compliance function across the Samruk-Kazyna Group of companies, sharing global perspectives and best practices in the field.

Ersen Betersen and Narmina Gardashkhanova shared their experience in addressing legal and compliance matters, as well as best practices in corporate governance across the Middle East, Europe, and Asia.

Kazakhstan continues to hold its position as the largest recipient of foreign direct investment in Central Asia, attracting around 70% of regional inflows and more than $170 billion in cumulative investments. The country remains an important destination for U.S. investors, while ongoing digitalization and regulatory modernization reforms help sustain strong international business interest. The greatest potential is concentrated in energy, transport and logistics projects, and infrastructure development. At the same time, several factors require heightened attention from investors: inconsistent law enforcement, limited transparency in the state sector, and corruption risks that may affect project implementation and regulatory predictability.

Under these market conditions, investors increasingly rely on the expertise of specialized consulting teams capable of navigating regulatory requirements, facilitating effective engagement with government bodies and state-affiliated companies, and strengthening oversight of compliance processes.

Kazakhstan maintains a confident macroeconomic trajectory: GDP growth of around 5%, a moderate public debt level, and National Fund assets exceeding $60 billion provide financial resilience and continue to attract investor interest. The IMF notes that the country’s strongest development prospects lie in energy, infrastructure, and sectors linked to broader economic diversification.
At the same time, structural constraints remain significant: a high dependence on the commodities sector, the need for greater transparency within state-affiliated enterprises, and further strengthening of governance institutions.
Against this backdrop, strategic engagement with local consulting teams is increasingly viewed by investors as a way to reduce uncertainty — from navigating the regulatory landscape to building compliance practices that enhance the stability and predictability of long-term projects.

The U.S. State Department highlights Kazakhstan as a stable and strategically important investment market in the region, with growing opportunities in oil and gas, logistics, renewables, and critical minerals. The country continues to attract U.S. business interest through infrastructure development and its role as a regional transit hub.

Given the increasing complexity of the regulatory environment and rising expectations for transparency, investors are increasingly turning to professional advisory firms capable of providing comprehensive project support — from establishing compliance functions to facilitating government engagement and conducting risk assessments.

Key challenges relate to government transparency, consistency in the rule of law, and the resilience of supply chains, all of which require a reinforced compliance approach from investors.

On December 23, 2025, U-Intero ISO LLP held a strategic expert session focused on corporate governance, compliance, and the application of artificial intelligence in Kazakhstan’s quasi-public sector. Members of the Board of Directors, senior management representatives, and heads of compliance functions took part in the event.

The invited expert was Oonagh van den Berg, an international corporate governance and compliance specialist with experience working with state and quasi-state companies across multiple jurisdictions.

During the session, participants reviewed current governance and regulatory challenges, including sanctions risks, increased accountability of senior executives, the development of data-driven compliance systems, and the use of AI-based solutions. Special attention was given to international practice, including the Singapore Temasek model, and to the opportunities for adapting its elements to the Kazakhstani context.

Following the discussions, participants considered practical approaches to strengthening corporate governance and compliance, as well as priority areas for further work, taking into account global trends and national specifics.

The session formed part of U-Intero ISO LLP’s systematic efforts to promote modern governance and compliance practices.

The Government is reinforcing a "proactive" investment agenda: attracting investors to high-tech projects, where digital transformation and AI development are identified as priorities. As part of this policy, a "Golden Visa" has been introduced, providing for a residence permit of up to 10 years.

For the practical implementation of such initiatives, the details of legal enforcement and inter-agency coordination are critical: it is essential for investors to establish a clear trajectory of interaction with government authorities in advance and manage risks, particularly in sensitive areas (taxes, migration regimes, cloud data, foreign labor).

In practice, the effectiveness of such initiatives is largely determined by the quality of institutional implementation — from the interpretation of migration and tax norms to the consistency of actions between relevant agencies. In this context, investors increasingly view the engagement of specialized consulting and analytical teams as an element of investment strategy, enabling them to structure interaction with government authorities, establish correct compliance procedures, and reduce regulatory and operational risks upon market entry.

China uses tax policy as one of the key instruments for attracting foreign capital. The country operates a system of preferential regimes, including incentives for the reinvestment of profits by foreign companies. These include a reduced corporate income tax rate of 15% for high-tech companies, compared to the standard 25% rate, as well as additional incentives for investments in strategic industries and specific regions. Investors who reinvest dividends received from Chinese enterprises into new projects within the country may benefit from tax preferences and tax deferral mechanisms, further encouraging long-term investment and capital reinvestment in the domestic economy.

This system replaced the earlier tax holiday model (“2+3”), which provided two years of full tax exemption followed by three years of taxation at a reduced rate, and was widely used to accelerate the attraction of foreign investment.

Such a structure of tax regimes and regional incentives requires careful preparation from investors. In these conditions, investors increasingly engage specialized consulting teams to help properly structure investment projects and navigate the regulatory environment.