A press conference was held at the Regional Communications Service to summarize the work of the Almaty Department of the Agency for Protection and Development of Competition of the Republic of Kazakhstan last year. At the conference, the head of the department, Nurzhan Nurlanuly, reported on the main achievements, identified violations of the law, and how fair competition is developing. It was noted that much attention was paid to protecting the rights of consumers and entrepreneurs, as well as reducing violations in the commodity market.

According to the speaker, the main task of the antimonopoly body is to promote the development of competition, prevent and promptly suppress violations of the law. To this end, the department analyzes commodity markets, issues notifications and instructions, conducts investigations, and, if necessary, applies to the courts, as well as establishes state-owned enterprises and coordinates their activities.

"Our work is aimed not only at detecting violations of the law, but also at preventing them. We analyze the market, assess the level of competition, and if we detect a risk of limited access for businesses and consumers, we take timely action. This approach allows us to systematically improve the market environment," says Nurzhan Nurlanuly.

In 2025, the department conducted 14 analyses of competition in the Almaty market. These included the wholesale and retail sales of aviation fuel, the primary sale of housing, and the wholesale sale of electricity. As a result of the work carried out, 23 notifications and 6 instructions were issued, 16 investigations were completed, and 16 administrative offense cases were initiated. The total amount of fines imposed and collected exceeded 4.6 billion tenge. The main response measures were taken on the facts of abuse of a dominant or monopoly position. A total of 9 cases were registered.

During the press conference, Nurzhan Nurlanuly noted that the department acts strictly within the framework of the law and judicial procedures, giving an example. In particular, at the request of consumers, the service of generating invoices for utility services of the company "Alseko" was reviewed. Based on the results of the investigation, a legal position was formed, which was supported by the court of first instance. This case is still being discussed in court.

"Protecting the interests of residents and businesses is very important to us. If the court finally supports our position, this will allow us to protect the rights of all consumers in the city. We will act as carefully as possible and only within the framework of the legal framework," the head of the department noted.

Issues related to electricity, air transportation, laboratory services and heat supply were also considered. In some cases, the department identified conditions that could impose an additional financial burden on entrepreneurs or restrict consumer rights. Notices were sent to several companies, some violations were eliminated in pre-trial order, and other episodes are being investigated.

The measures taken have reduced the cost of reconnecting to heat energy for Almaty residents, removing profit from the tariff structure. In addition, the contractual requirements in the laboratory services market have been adjusted, creating additional opportunities for fair competition.

"Antitrust regulation is about balancing interests, open rules of the game, and creating a level playing field for all market participants. Our goal is for both businesses and consumers to feel protected and have maximum trust in the system," Nurzhan Nurlanuly concluded.

It was noted that the Department will continue to work on the development of competition and protection of consumer rights in Almaty based on market analysis, judicial practice, and citizen appeals.