The National Chamber of Entrepreneurs 'Atameken' discussed the problem of importing goods into Kazakhstan using counterfeit certificates of conformity.
According to Informburo.kz, the director of the Association of Cement and Concrete Producers, Yerbol Akymbayev, cited an example of a certificate created in the graphic editor Photoshop.
At 'Atameken', they reported that a wide range of goods – from marble to school furniture – are being brought into the country using forged documents.
"Experts expressed concern over the inaction of law enforcement agencies and the low fines for obstructing inspections, which do not serve as a deterrent. Shadow importers can pay a million tenge and continue their operations," the statement reads.
Entrepreneur Almira Serikbayeva added that law enforcement agencies often refuse to initiate criminal cases without the original forged document, and it is unclear where to obtain one.
Representative of the State Revenue Committee Zhandos Sekenov confirmed that the tax databases have still not been integrated with the systems of the Committee for Technical Regulation and Metrology. The official promised that this problem would be resolved by December.
Chamber experts proposed increasing fines for obstructing inspections by at least 100 times, as well as confiscating goods without documents and banning their sale.
The Ministry of Culture and Information stated its readiness to block fake websites masquerading as government services.
"We agreed to work together on preparing a protocol with specific proposals for government agencies. The business community hopes that this initiative will lead to real changes in legislation and strengthen control over the import of goods, which, in turn, will protect domestic production and ensure the safety of citizens," the chamber concluded.