The Agency for the Protection and Development of Competition (APDC) together with law enforcement authorities returned assets worth nearly 65 billion tenge to state ownership.
According to the agency's press office, the basis for the return was the APDC's assessment of the justification of actions by large monopolies:
- LLP «Liquefied Petroleum Gas Storage Park» (LPGS Park) has a technological connection with the Atyrau Oil Refinery (AOR), as the plant lacks its own tank farm. All liquefied petroleum gas was stored in the tanks of LPGS Park, leading to monopolisation and abuse of a dominant position. Previously, AOR owned 50% of LPGS Park's shares. Following an antitrust investigation, the company was fined 1.6 billion tenge. As a result of court proceedings, 50% of LPGS Park's shares, valued at 5.5 billion tenge, were returned to state ownership.
- The «TEK-Kazakhstan» group of companies was fined 1.6 billion tenge for setting monopolistically high prices for diesel fuel storage and dispensing services. Fuel depots valued at 39 billion tenge were returned to state ownership. The APDC and the prosecutor's office invalidated the privatisation deals for the fuel storage facilities of JSC «NC KTZ», objects of strategic importance for railway communications.
- The privatisation of SCEP on RHL «Almaty qala zharyq» in 2021 for 4.6 billion tenge, given its actual estimated value of 14.8 billion tenge, constitutes a violation of the law. The Agency determined that the enterprise holds a monopoly position in the outdoor lighting management market, and the decision to sell it was illegal. Consequently, the asset was returned to state ownership.
- An APDC investigation revealed that from 2021, LLP «Eurotransit Nur Zholy» has been the sole supplier of goods transportation services through the «Nur Zholy» customs post. The cost of services increased from 1.2 million to 1.4 million tenge per round trip, leading to the establishment of monopolistically high prices. As a result, a land plot of 3.6 hectares, including a transport and logistics complex valued at 5.7 billion tenge, was transferred to the state.
- The APDC returned to city ownership 70% of the stake in LLP «Almaty spetstechparking service» and 100% of the stake in LLP «Alan Parking», which provided paid parking services. The total value of the returned assets amounted to 300 million tenge.
It is worth recalling that in June, the head of the department of the Anti-Corruption Agency in Shymkent, Dauren Yergarin, wrote about plans to return the «Ice Palace» in Shymkent to state control.
In July, it became known that the Shymkent prosecutor's office had returned property and shares worth 5.9 billion tenge to the state over six months.
Last December, Gabit Syzdykbekov reported that the building of the «Fosfornik» Palace of Culture, previously owned by the convicted oligarch Tokhtar Tuleshov, had been accepted onto the city's balance sheet and would be restored.