ADB's Work in Kazakhstan   Download Fact Sheet

Kazakhstan became a member of ADB in 1994, shortly after it achieved independence. Since then, ADB has aided Kazakhstan with sovereign and nonsovereign financing, technical assistance, and knowledge support. Priority areas of operations have been budget support, transport, finance, and renewable energy sectors. To date, Kazakhstan has contributed $8.6 million to ADB’s Asian Development Fund, which provides grant to poorer countries in Asia and the Pacific.

Current ADB operations in Kazakhstan support economic diversification, inclusive development, and sustainable growth. ADB is also supporting Kazakhstan’s active participation in the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) Program.

To date, ADB has committed 127 public sector loans, grants, and technical assistance totaling $6 billion to Kazakhstan. Cumulative loan disbursements to Kazakhstan amount to $5.68 billion. These were financed by regular and concessional ordinary capital resources, and other special funds. ADB’s ongoing sovereign portfolio in Kazakhstan includes 5 loans and 1 grant worth $1.6 billion.

ADB supported the reconstruction of about 500 kilometers (km) of roads in Mangistau region. This is expected to increase Kazakhstan’s transit potential and improve its regional connectivity through integration into global networks. Works are ongoing on 300 km of the Aktobe–Makat road and 90 km of the adjacent road between Aktobe and Kandyagash to boost connectivity and promote regional trade in western Kazakhstan. ADB is processing a new local currency loan for the reconstruction of a 208 km strategic section of the Kyzylorda–Zhezkazgan road that links the southern and northern regions of the country.

Promoting gender equality and addressing climate change are important thematic areas of ADB’s country operations. Jointly with Otbasy Bank, Kazakhstan’s leading financial institution, ADB is providing access to affordable housing to more than 3,000 women, particularly in rural areas. To develop renewable energy sources and support Kazakhstan’s transition to carbon neutrality, ADB has been providing technical assistance to introduce new legislation on renewable technology inclusive heat supply and create more generating facilities with hydro, hybrid, and power storage. ADB also provided assistance to connect renewable power plants to the national grid and develop a low-carbon growth strategy for Nur-Sultan city.

Bayterek Tower, Nur-Sultan, Kazakhstan. Photo: ADB

Nonsovereign operations. Total outstanding balances and undisbursed commitments of ADB’s nonsovereign transactions in Kazakhstan as of 31 December 2021 was $136.45 million representing 0.97% of ADB’s total private sector portfolio.

Operational challenges. Massive infrastructure investment and innovative financing modalities are needed to reduce inequalities between Kazakhstan’s large cities and the rest of the country. ADB is working with the government and other development partners to help modernize Kazakhstan’s infrastructure in transport, energy, urban development, and rural services.

To help diversify and decarbonize the economy, ADB and the government are working to promote sustainable development, stimulate tourism, improve logistics, foster private entrepreneurship, promote digitalization, and ensure good governance.

The government has stated its preference for local currency financing by international financial institutions. ADB has responded with enhanced flexibility in its lending modalities and the provision of tenge loans through the issuance of local currency bonds. ADB issued the first tenge green bonds in the domestic bond market in 2020, and debut tenge gender bonds in 2021.

COVID-19 Response

In 2020–2021, ADB assisted the Government of Kazakhstan in mitigating the health, social, and economic impacts of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic through a $1 billion countercyclical loan and over $5 million in grants. ADB supported the procurement of personal protective equipment for frontline healthcare workers and medical kits for low-income families, mitigation of the pandemic’s impact on the labor market, and upgrade of the COVID-19 Control Center web application used by the government to monitor COVID-19 data.

Knowledge Work

Since 2013, the Kazakhstan Knowledge and Experience Exchange Program (KEEP), a joint program of ADB and the government, has been offering demand-driven and just in-time knowledge support, including technical reports, policy advisory services, and capacity-building programs. The ongoing fourth phase of KEEP, launched in November 2020, shares valuable expertise in areas such as public audit, accrual budgeting, financial integrity, investment promotion, agriculture, energy, regional development, gender and family affairs, and venture financing.

In 2021, ADB supported the government in improving civil servants’ digital skills and developing mortgage lending digitalization models of Kazakhstan Mortgage Company, among others. ADB also published studies on Kazakhstan’s regional inequality, the pandemic’s economic impact, and the country’s development finance needs to achieve the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda.