Since January 2025, Kazakhstan has operated a Unified Subsoil Use Platform, through which 2,443 operators have submitted electronic reports. The new digital monitoring tool has enabled regulators to uncover violations of subsoil use legislation.
As a result, companies received notifications of breaches across 196 contracts and licenses, with total penalties amounting to 910 million tenge (approx. $1.9 million). In addition, 37 contracts were terminated — 30 for geological exploration, five for extraction, and two for combined activities. Authorities also revoked 61 licenses from non-compliant operators.
The Ministry of Internal Affairs and the National Security Committee have halted illegal mining operations in four regions of the country. In the third quarter of this year, the agencies plan to issue about 350 notifications and conduct 65 on-site inspections.
By the end of the year, a draft law on digitalization and auctions, along with amendments to allocate 50% of subscription bonuses to state geological exploration, will be submitted to the Parliament of Kazakhstan, Kazinform reports.
