FBRK.KZ

The military court of the Aktobe garrison has sentenced ten defendants in a case involving the illegal importation of cigarettes across Kazakhstan’s border. Among those convicted are border service personnel and civilians. According to the court, the damage to the state amounted to 7 billion 358 million 700 thousand tenge.

In Kazakhstan, in January 2026, the total volume of loans to the population reached 24.8 trillion tenge, despite rising interest rates. The average rate on consumer loans increased to 22.3%, while demand for borrowing remains high. At the same time, an outflow of funds from deposits was recorded, which experts attribute to seasonal spending and investments.

In Petropavlovsk, the court has passed sentence on former court chairmen, a lawyer, and businesspeople in a case concerning attempts to influence judicial decisions. The defendants were found guilty on various counts related to fraud and attempted bribery. The sentence has not yet entered into legal force and may be appealed.

The construction project of a new 35,000-seat stadium in Shymkent has effectively been frozen. The main reason is the protracted procedure for the compulsory acquisition of additional land plots for state needs. The design and estimate documentation (DED) has still not passed state expert examination.

In the draft of Kazakhstan's new Constitution, restrictions on the involvement of foreign entities in political activity have been enshrined. Article 6 introduces a ban on the activities of political parties from other states, political parties based on religion, and foreign funding of parties and trade unions. Transparency is also required regarding data on foreign funds received by non-commercial organisations.