A reader contacted the anonymous bot of the FBRK editorial office. While searching for a plot of land, they came across advertisements for the sale of hectares in the village of Akkayyn near Astana. Nothing unusual, if not for one detail — according to them, the territories offered for sale belong to the forest fund lands. Our editorial team decided to verify this information independently by attempting to 'buy' one of the plots.
A journalist from the FBRK editorial office contacted one of the sellers under the guise of a potential buyer. The seller confirmed that the lands are indeed part of the forest fund. According to them, the plot was allocated by the state for the creation of a recreation area on the basis of a long-term lease agreement for a period of 49 years. The seller claimed that such plots are not provided with cadastral numbers or state deeds, only the agreement with the state body directly. However, we were quickly informed that all necessary documents for creating a recreation area are available, including a building permit.
Indeed, according to the Forest Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, forest fund lands can be provided under long-term lease. However, it is important to understand: the lessee does not become the owner of the plot and is not entitled to freely sell, gift, or pledge it. The transfer of lease rights is possible only with the consent of the authorised state body, and the unconditional resale of lease rights is expressly prohibited by law.
This story serves as a good reminder for potential land buyers about the importance of checking documents and the legal status of plots. Not everything offered for 'sale' can be actually purchased as ownership. Sometimes it involves the transfer of lease rights, which differs significantly from acquiring land as property.
Nevertheless, let us return to the plots being sold. According to data from the Unified State Real Estate Cadastre (USREC), the location where they are situated contains a large land mass covering approximately 2579 hectares, but it is not divided into small plots; rather, it represents a single entity. Its cadastral value exceeds 66.7 million tenge, and its designated purpose is clearly defined — afforestation.
According to official data from the USREC portal, the rights holder of these lands is the RSE on REM "Zhasyl Aimak" — a state enterprise established in 2000 specifically for the protection and safeguarding of the state forest fund. Incidentally, in January 2025, the reorganisation of the enterprise was announced, along with its transformation into a new institution, "Zhasyl Beldeu", which is expected to retain all assets and functions related to forest protection.
However, besides the state enterprise, the list of rights holders includes four private companies: "Meruert Plus" LLP, "StroyNik" LLP, "SOMBALAK" LLP, and "ARCADA" LLP. A logical explanation readily suggests itself — the state institution owns the land but likely leases part of the territory to private companies for conducting economic activities. Logging, construction of infrastructure facilities — this is a perfectly workable scheme used everywhere.
But here is the catch. When we checked what exactly these mysterious rights holders do, it turned out that the companies' activities do not align at all with forest management of the lands. For instance, "Meruert Plus" is engaged in wholesale trade of a wide range of goods, "StroyNik" in architectural activities, "SOMBALAK" in organising recreation and entertainment, and "ARCADA" in residential property rental. Furthermore, "StroyNik" has enforcement proceedings debt totalling over 79.3 million tenge, "ARCADA" has accumulated numerous administrative offences, and its registration in Karaganda only raises further questions about the logic of its presence among the rights holders of lands near Astana.
The case of the village of Akkayyn illustrates the market's logical response to existing opportunities. If forest fund lands can be obtained through agreements with "Zhasyl Aimak", bypassing standard cadastral registration procedures, then the emergence of offers for their 'sale' is entirely understandable. The only question is how the state enterprise, established to protect the forest fund, balances the provision of land for use with the fulfilment of its core functions.