On 22 April 2016 the Law "On Amending Some Legislative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Issues of Reducing the Number of Authorization Documents and Simplification of the Authorization Procedures," dated 29 March 2016 №479-V came into force (hereinafter Law №479-V.)

According to Law №479-V the Law "On Advertising" dated 19 December 2003 (the Advertising Law) was amended. As a result of the amendments, external (visual) advertising does not include:

  1. signboards
  2. information on the business hours
  3. posters with a repertoire of cultural institutions, artists/actors, and sports and entertainment events placed in specially designated areas
  4. individualization of maintenance tools and vehicles
  5. external or internal show-case decoration and window-dressing for external visual perception of the following nature:

    • samples of commercial products
    • means of its own individualization
    • decorative and festive decoration
  6. information boards indicating the types of oil products, prices of oil products, the name and logo of the seller placed at the entrance to gas stations
  7. information stands, containing information about purchasing and selling rates of exchange of foreign currency in cash in Tenge

As can be seen from the new version of the list, it has become larger and more detailed.

Furthermore, the range of entities which place such advertising objects has expanded. If previously such range included only retail facilities, public catering facilities and consumer services, now it includes individuals (including individual entrepreneurs) and legal entities.

Apart from amendments to the Law "On Advertising," Law №479-V introduced amendments to the Tax Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan with regard to payment for placement of external (visual) advertising.

As a result of the amendments, the payment for placement of external (visual) advertising on vehicles has been abolished. Furthermore, in the table with the monthly payment rates, a new revised list of advertising objects for which payment was charged appeared. Whereas previously such list of advertising objects included signage, signboards, information boards of up to two square meters (for one object), now payment is only charged for objects of external (visual) advertising. Thus, it has become quite clear that no payment is charged for the placement of a signboard.

In addition to amendments to the Law "On Advertising" and the Tax Code of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Law №479-V amended the law "On Permissions and Notifications" dated 16 May 2014. Namely, the requirement to obtain permission for the following activities in the area of advertising has been abolished:

  • approval of designs of external and visual advertising with the use of the state language
  • placement of external (visual) advertising on vehicles

As can be seen from a brief review of the changes in the area of advertising, many controversial issues concerning advertising objects and payment for their placement are now resolved and settled.

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