29.05.2025, 19:51
Export at Risk: Kazakhstani Businesses Demand Urgent Adjustment of Railway Tariffs
Business Demands Implementation of KTZ Tariff Reduction Decision
Amid a sharp increase in tariffs for rail freight transportation in the export direction — which is already putting pressure on the economy and may lead to the shutdown of entire sectors — the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs of Kazakhstan "Atameken" held an emergency meeting with representatives of the business community, JSC "NC "KTZ", and relevant government bodies.
The main topic of discussion was the delay by the national carrier in implementing the decision of the State Commission to reduce the tariff index. According to the document, starting from May 19 this year, the index was supposed to be adjusted from 3.0 to 1.0, which would help reduce transportation costs. However, KTZ refers to the legislation on natural monopolies, which stipulates that any changes come into effect 15 calendar days after being signed — that is, no earlier than June 8.
According to participants of the meeting, this delay is considered unjustified in the current conditions, as businesses are already incurring losses amounting to hundreds of millions of tenge, and in some cases are forced to lay off employees.
Particular concern was raised regarding export routes. As noted by Atameken, in recent years, regulated tariffs for trunk railway network services, locomotive traction, and associated services in the export segment have grown significantly, outpacing the inflation rate. This directly reduces the competitiveness of Kazakhstani products abroad and undermines the stability of supply chains.
To avoid additional pressure on businesses already operating under conditions of reduced profitability, the National Chamber sent a request to the Ministry of National Economy to clarify the legal procedure for implementing the decision of the State Commission.
According to the Chamber, negotiations involving KTZ, the Ministry of National Economy, and the Ministry of Transport are currently underway, and a decision is expected soon that will ease the tariff burden on exporters and support domestic businesses.