The Government of Kazakhstan has developed a set of measures to support the domestic light industry. Producers will get expanded access to government procurement, stricter requirements for raw material localization and school uniform quality, and reduced certification costs, reports infohub.kz.
As noted at a meeting with industry representatives, one measure concerns the state defense order. When procuring light industry goods, it is proposed to gradually increase requirements for the domestic content value of raw materials. This will increase the use of Kazakhstani raw materials and ensure more stable utilization of local producers.
Expanding opportunities for domestic enterprises is also planned in the sphere of government procurement. To this end, it is proposed to revise the list of light industry goods purchased through the penal enforcement system from the state enterprise "Enbek" from a single source. The list is proposed to retain only products for the organization's internal needs, thereby opening wider access to government procurement for domestic enterprises.
Changes will also affect school uniforms. Requirements for their quality are proposed to be strengthened by normatively enshrining compliance with national standards.
The issue of the cost of certification and laboratory tests was also considered. Business representatives had previously noted the high cost of product certification for participation in government procurement. Taking into account industry proposals, it was decided to develop a methodology providing for fixed tariffs for product testing. This should make the cost of services more transparent and reduce producers' costs.
"Operational measures are planned to be implemented at the level of by-laws, while systemic ones through changes to legislation. In parallel, within the framework of the Comprehensive Plan for the Development of Light Industry, a package of amendments to the Tax Code and other legislative acts has been prepared," the government noted.
One of the key tools is proposed to be an Agreement on Increasing Localization. Enterprises that undertake relevant obligations will receive tax preferences, including regardless of the location of facilities due to the extraterritoriality norm.
Earlier, Kursiv reported that clothing production in Kazakhstan grew by 136 percent. At the end of 2025, production volume increased by 22.6% and amounted to 259.5 billion tenge. The main driver of growth is the textile industry with a volume of 159 billion tenge.
"The industry remains one of the fastest-growing segments of the manufacturing industry," the Ministry of Industry explained.