550,000 entities appeared in Kazakhstan’s SME sector in H1 2026

Qazinform News Agency reports that Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov chaired a meeting on business development with the Finance and National Economy ministries and the Atameken National Chamber of Entrepreneurs.
Particularly, business activity, sectoral and regional indicators, the current situation in entrepreneurship, preliminary results of tax reform were the main topics of the meeting. The participants also discussed measures to ensure fair regulation of business entities.
As Finance Minister Madi Takiyev reported, corporate income tax revenues to the national budget increased by 15.7% in the first half of the year. The financial sector and manufacturing demonstrated a particular growth.
According to the Finance Ministry, the number of small and medium-sized businesses increased by around 550,000 in the first half of the year. It was a result of the legalization of self-employed workers. However, self-employed individuals make only social payments and don’t pay taxes. Nevertheless, a significant reduction in artificial business fragmentation led to closure of Around 260,000 small and medium-sized enterprises with no employees.
Also, several issues concerning the business community and presented proposals on behalf of entrepreneurs were raised by Atameken Chairman Kanat Sharlapayev. Moreover, First Vice Minister of National Economy Azamat Amrin visited the meeting.
As a result of the discussion, Prime Minister Bektenov gave instructions for continued cooperation. Other aims were improvement of government-business coordination and achievement of sustainable economic growth. Amrin gave the Finance and National Economy ministries and the Atameken Chamber the task to conduct monthly comprehensive analyses of the entrepreneurial sector across different industries and regions.

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