ASTANA – Kazakhstan is strengthening its investment protection regime by assigning dedicated prosecutors to oversee each major industrial project from initial application through full implementation. Prosecutor General Berik Assylov unveiled the initiative during an Investment Protection Forum on April 9, signaling a structural shift in how the Central Asian nation shields investors from administrative interference.
The approach builds on an existing "prosecutorial filter" mechanism that has already placed 2,800 projects valued at 96 trillion tenge (US$201.6 billion) under enhanced legal protection. Over the past two years, more than 250 projects have been realized with prosecutorial backing, generating approximately 30,000 jobs while the volume of investment agreements surged 15-fold to reach roughly $100 billion.
The filter restricts state agencies from conducting business inspections, suspending operations, revoking licenses, or imposing restrictions without prior prosecutor approval. Since the start of 2026, this shield has blocked over 1,000 unjustified decisions—comprising 450 illegal inspections, over 500 administrative enforcement cases, and more than 200 other restrictive measures, according to Kazinform.
"Our goal is to ensure stability and maintain strong investment attractiveness," said Deputy Foreign Minister Alibek Kuantyrov at the Forum. He noted that since independence, Kazakhstan has attracted more than $480 billion in foreign direct investment, including $20.5 billion in 2025 alone—representing a 14.4% year-on-year increase.
Manufacturing and the financial sector have emerged as the primary growth engines, reflecting a deliberate pivot from raw materials toward a diversified, value-added economy. Kuantyrov highlighted that targeted investor outreach—including roughly 1,200 meetings with international firms and approximately 200 inbound visits last year—has brought in major commitments exceeding $2.5 billion.
The new prosecutor assignment system is designed to further consolidate Kazakhstan's appeal for industrial ventures in steel, mining, energy, and logistics, sectors where regulatory friction can derail capital-intensive projects running into billions of tenge. By providing investors with a direct line to prosecutorial oversight, authorities aim to accelerate permit approvals, resolve contractual disputes, and prevent bureaucratic overreach that typically prolongs project timelines.