Market & legal data in the tobacco alternatives sector in Kazakhstan

24th July 2024: Kazakhstan: The health minister has issued an order to change the text of the warning displayed in places where tobacco products are sold, media reports. The following notice must be displayed in places that sell tobacco products, including heated tobacco and heated tobacco devices: “The sale of tobacco products, including products with heated tobacco, hookah tobacco, hookah mixture, systems for heating tobacco, to persons under the age of twenty-one is prohibited.” The order reportedly comes into force on 30th August.
22nd July 2024: Kazakhstan: The government has increased minimum retail prices for heated tobacco products (HTPs), media reports. The minimum retail price for HTPs is KZT820 (€1.60) as of 1st July 2024 and will increase to KZT870 (€1.70) as of 1st January 2025.
28th May 2024: Kazakhstan: The government aims to increase the minimum retail price for heated tobacco products (HTPs), media reports. The Ministry of Finance has published a draft amendment to the order “On establishing minimum retail prices for filtered and non-filtered cigarettes, cigarillos and products with heated tobacco”. If adopted, the minimum retail price for HTPs would be KZT820 (€1.70) as of 1st July 2024 and KZT870 (€1.80) as of 1st January 2025. The draft amendment is in public consultation until 10th June.
20th March 2024: Kazakhstan: The Mazhilis (the lower chamber of parliament) has agreed with the senators’ additions to the bill banning the sale, distribution, and import of vapes and has sent it to the president for signature, media reports. The bill seeks to ban and criminalise the sale of vaping products in the country and introduce criminal liability for the sale of banned non-smoking tobacco products (nasvay, snus). Earlier this year, a spokesman from the Ministry of Health said in an interview that the implementation of the vaping ban is mainly due to health and under-age usage. The spokesman also added that while the existing health code includes measures aimed at preventing the consumption of vapes in the country, they do not work.
15th March 2024: Kazakhstan: Zharkynbek Amantai, a member of the Mazhilis (lower chamber of parliament), has called for action against sellers of nasvay, which is prohibited in Kazakhstan, media reports. Nasvay is a traditional oral tobacco product consisting of a moist, powdered tobacco dip consumed mostly in Afghanistan and surrounding countries.
13th December 2023: Kazakhstan: Several members of the Mazhilis (lower chamber of the Parliament) have proposed an amendment prohibiting tobacco companies in Kazakhstan from engaging in charity, media reports. The restriction would be added to the country's Health Code.
15th September 2023: Kazakhstan: The Ministry of National Economy published for public consultation a consultative document of regulatory policy to the draft of the Tax Code. The consultation will last until 29th September. The consultative document seeks to gradually increase the excise tax rate on cigarettes in Kazakhstan with the aim to harmonise excise tax rates on cigarettes in line with the rates in the other Eurasian Economic Union (EAEU) countries (Armenia, Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Russia). The document does not address any proposed changes to the tax regime for heated tobacco consumables.
4th May 2023: Kazakhstan: The Ministry of Finance is aiming to increase the minimum retail prices for heated tobacco products, media reports. If the draft amendment is adopted, after a public consultation due to end on 19th May, the minimum price for a pack of 20 consumables will rise to KZT710 ($1.60) on 1st July, then again to KZT770 ($1.73) on 1st January 2024.
22nd February 2023: Kazakhstan: The Ministry of Health has drawn up a proposed decree on graphic warnings about the dangers of using heat-not-burn (HnB) and other tobacco and nicotine products. The draft is open to public consultation until 3rd March.
1st February 2023: Kazakhstan: The Health Code specifies that manufacturers and importers of heated tobacco must submit reports on the results of laboratory tests on the maximum permissible nicotine content by 1st February of the year following the reporting period.
10th January 2023: Kazakhstan: The tax rate for heated tobacco consumables has changed from 1st January to KZT9,870 ($21.45) per 1,000.
9th January 2023: Kazakhstan: Kazakhstan has approved a new minimum retail price for tobacco products, including heated tobacco consumables. As of 1st January 2023, the minimum retail price of a pack of 20 heated tobacco consumables is KZT630 ($1.36).

Stay up-to-date with key market trends and regulatory news and receive complimentary data on a regular basis

LATEST ALERTS

Alternative tobacco and nicotine products in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan to introduce criminal liability for violation of the existing ban on snus

Demand for KT&G’s next-gen products contributes to record-high Q3 revenues

Ploom X international expansion has helped to boost JTI’s Q3 performance

Top changes that matter in this month’s Policy Radar update, April 2024

Kazakhstan: heated tobacco regulation, March 2024

Kazakhstan: oral tobacco and nicotine pouch regulation, March 2024

Heated tobacco pricing tracker

Heated tobacco markets database

TobaccoIntelligence compliance calendar

Global regulatory tracker: tobacco-free pouches, June

Regulatory database: global alerts round-up, June

Sign up to our newsletter

LATEST ALERTS

Alternative tobacco and nicotine products in Kazakhstan

Sign up to our newsletter

Start your FREE trial