INTRODUCTION: Beginning December 1, 2024, the rules for importing automobiles into Kazakhstan will change for both individuals and legal entities.On November 18, the State Revenue Committee of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Kazakhstan issued a bulletin about the changes.The department’s message indicates that cars under three years old will now be imported only to those officially listed in the OTTS document (“Vehicle Type Approval”).
In other words, it will only apply to legal entities, as the document is not issued to individuals.Moreover, only those directly indicated in the OTTS document retain the right to import.
At the same time, according to the clarification of the Ministry of Industry and Construction of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the person designated in the OTTS “has the right to import vehicles that are imported under the OTTS for less than 3 years from the date of production,” the Ministry reports,
referring to the procedure for registration of products subject to mandatory conformity assessment in the customs territory of the EAEU, as provided for by paragraph 10, subparagraph (b), of the EAEU Customs Tariff Zone Import Rules.Registration procedure, approved by the EEC Council Decision of November 12, 2021, No. 130.
In turn, OTTS will be permitted only if the filer of such products is a person designated in OTTS.The Department reports that this measure will be implemented on December 1, 2024 .
Let’s recall that at a government meeting in late October, the situation of the country’s automotive sector and the issue of “gray” car imports were discussed.The Prime Minister instructed government agencies to deal with the problem of “gray” transport imports.During his visit to Almaty this summer, Prime Minister Bektenov said that Kazakhstan should become an automobile power.
In July, the head of a department of the Ministry of Industry, Adilbek Bektibaev, while discussing a petition for recycling collection, planned to propose to the countries of the Eurasian Economic Union a ban on the import of cars older than seven years.Most of the registered vehicles in Kazakhstan are more than 10 years old.In contrast, according to the latest data from the National Statistical Office, only 6.2 per cent of cars are less than three years old.
Sanzar Bokayev said, “The government has deliberately imposed a monopoly on car imports and trade so that only certain oligarchs will do so.The government’s explanation for these changes is simple – to combat gray imports.But Bokaev categorically disagrees with this explanation.
What kind of gray importation is it if a Kazakhstani pays everything required by law when importing a car?When importing a car you have to pay 12% VAT, 15% customs duty, recycling tax according to the engine size, SBCTS (Vehicle Safety Certificate-F), GLONASS all of which is paid by the individual.
The oligarchs pay nothing for this under the guise of domestic producers.People think that personal imports are gray imports and that car dealers are what our country needs.But they don’t pay VAT, they don’t pay “customs duties”, they don’t pay recycling taxes, they don’t pay “primary taxes” – nothing.
According to Sanzar Bokayev, by adopting such innovations and combating gray imports, the government has created favorable conditions only for car dealers, because buying a car in Kazakhstan is much more expensive than abroad.
For example, the Hyundai Elantra is sold in China for 4.2 million tenge.Kazakhs carrying this car must pay customs duties, VAT and tariffs.All this adds up to 2 million tenge. GLONASS button for 180,000, disposal fee of 646,000 tenge, temporary storage in a warehouse, vehicle licensing.For a citizen of Kazakhstan brought from China, the price of this car is up to 8 million tenge.
In Kazakhstan, the same “empty” Elantra is already sold at car dealerships for 10 million, and if it is equipped even more, then the cost of the Elantra reaches 13 million.”Bokaev calculates.
The latest news from Kazakhstan can be interpreted to mean that the opportunity for individuals to bring brand new cars to Kazakhstan has completely disappeared.
Previously, any declarant could import cars through the OTTS, and currently individuals are prohibited from importing new cars within 3 years, which also means that parallel imports will come to an end, and company imports must be authorized by the brand owner and have the OTTC certification of the EAEU member countries can import the vehicles, which will result in vehicles being imported only by the OEMs.
However, the document also mentions that individuals in Kazakhstan can import used cars within 3 to 7 years, but due to the increase in taxes and fees such as scrapping tax, but this will make China’s used cars become no advantage to speak of!
