ASTANA, Kazakhstan, April 3. Kazakhstan's Kostanay region is actively returning unused agricultural lands to state ownership, with nearly 43,000 hectares voluntarily returned by the end of the first quarter of 2025, including 10,000 hectares of arable land and 33,000 hectares of pasture, Trend reports.
“Land inventory processes help agricultural producers identify areas not in use and take action to optimize their operations. The voluntary return of these lands helps organize land use more efficiently and avoids higher tax rates,” said the ministry.
The ministry also underscored that regular informational work is being carried out with business entities regarding the penalties for not using land, managed by the regional department.
Under current laws, unused agricultural land is subject to a land tax rate that is 20 times higher than the base rate. In 2022-2023, following directives from the Kostanay region’s Department of Land Resource Management and the Committee for Land Resource Management of Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Agriculture, tax authorities imposed additional taxes totaling 132.5 million tenge (approximately $265,000), of which 127.8 million tenge (approximately $255,600) has already been collected by the government.
