ASTANA, Kazakhstan, November 19. Kazakhstan is planning to introduce new measures to support businesses and reduce household debt, Madina Abylkassymova, Chairwoman of the Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market, said at a government meeting, Trend reports via the Kazakh government.
Abylkassymova highlighted that, starting in April 2026, a new requirement will be implemented for the creation of additional capital for retail loans. Under this regulation, financial institutions will be obligated to set aside up to 2 percent of such loans, a move that is expected to render the expansion of consumer loan portfolios economically unviable for banks.
Simultaneously, in an effort to encourage business lending, the Agency will maintain reduced liquidity ratios at 0.9. This adjustment is anticipated to unlock approximately 3 trillion tenge (around $5.8 billion) for the Kazakh economy, which banks will be able to redirect into supporting entrepreneurial ventures.
The official further indicated that revisions will be made to the framework for setting interest rates. For instance, mortgage rates will be reduced for borrowers who make larger down payments, and the practice of fixing interest rates on consumer loans will be discontinued.
"The Agency, in collaboration with the National Bank, will develop a new methodology for determining mortgage rates based on the loan-to-value ratio of the property. This will align interest rates more closely with actual risk levels while ensuring loan accessibility. As for unsecured consumer loans, the methodology for calculating the maximum APR (Annual Percentage Rate) will be updated to reflect market dynamics," she stated.
As of November 19, 2025, according to the official exchange rate of the National Bank of Kazakhstan, 1 USD equals 521.01 KZT.