The Astana Department of Trade and Consumer Protection has completed unscheduled inspections of several retail markets in the capital. Inspections were conducted at the Ulzhan, Altay, Saryarka, Alash, and Sharyn markets.
The inspections revealed violations of the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On the Regulation of Trade Activities," the Rules of Domestic Trade, and national standards of the Republic of Kazakhstan. Market owners were issued warnings for all identified violations and given binding orders to rectify them. After the established deadline, the Department will conduct an assessment of compliance with the orders, and based on the results, further procedural measures will be taken in accordance with the law.
The inspections are being conducted in conjunction with the end of the transition period provided by the state for the modernization of retail markets. Even before the new requirements came into effect, owners were given several years to bring their markets into compliance with the law.
"It's important to remember that both the tenant and the seller work for the customer. Therefore, it's time to seriously consider their comfort." "The more convenient and enjoyable the conditions are for consumers, the more active trade will be in the markets," noted Yerkebulan Tagashev, Head of the Department of Trade and Consumer Protection for Astana.
Since January 2026, the requirements of paragraph 2-2 of Article 10 of the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On the Regulation of Trade Activities" have been in full effect. According to the law, universal trade markets located in the capital, cities of national and regional significance with a population of over 100,000 people must operate in permanent retail facilities. The use of open, non-permanent structures as the primary trading format no longer meets legal requirements.
Market owners were given until December 31, 2025, to complete the modernization and refurbishment of their facilities. A roadmap for the modernization of trade markets was approved to coordinate this work. In the city of Astana, seven markets were included in it: “Ulzhan”, “Altai”, “Shanghai (Kok Bazar)”, “Saryarka”, “Central Market”, “Alash” and “Sharyn”.
