Kazakhstan has digitalised 22 state services for the subsoil use sector and processed more than 500 licence applications through a new unified platform since its launch at the start of 2026, the country’s vice minister of industry and construction told the MINEX Kazakhstan forum in Astana — the country’s flagship annual gathering for the mining and geology sector, now in its 15th year.
Speaking at the forum, which this year runs under the theme “A New Era of Mineral Resource Development in Kazakhstan: From Exploration to Processing,” vice minister Zhannat Dubirova outlined the practical impact of the digitalisation drive. In January alone, digital auctions conducted through the new Unified Subsoil Use Platform attracted $40 million in investment commitments across 21 licence areas. The platform allows investors to access available sites and submit auction applications directly, without intermediaries. Compliance monitoring across the approximately 3,000 active licences and contracts for solid minerals, previously conducted manually, has also been fully digitalised.
Almas Kushimov, director of the Ministry of Industry and Construction’s subsoil use department, reported strong market appetite for new resource opportunities. Over the past two years, 117 subsoil areas and deposits have been sold through electronic auctions, generating a combined signature bonus of more than 29 billion tenge. An auction covering 50 deposits of gold, silver, coal and rare metals is planned for June 2025.
The forum brought together approximately 100 speakers, more than 450 delegates and around 40 exhibitors from countries across Central Asia, Europe, North America, Africa, the Middle East, Australia, China, India, Malaysia and Singapore. Sessions covered investment climate, Kazakhstan’s strategic role in global critical raw material supply chains, uranium industry development and nuclear energy prospects. The forum is due to close with a workforce development and national competency session, followed by a gala evening at which the Kazakhstan Mining Chamber will present its annual Mining Industry Achievement Awards.
