Kazakhstan Moves Toward Ban on Sale, Rental of Agricultural Lands by Foreigners thediplomat.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from thediplomat.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
22 Apr in 2:32 Eurasianet
Kazakhstan is on the cusp of imposing a permanent ban on the sale and lease of agricultural land to foreigners. It is a rare victory for grassroots campaigning, but may be a blow for a sector in sore need of outside investment and expertise. With the lower house of parliament having backed a ban earlier this month, it is left only to the Senate and the president to add their approval. And that is a formality,
Bakyt Adilkhanuly, a horse-breeder in Almaty region’s Kegen district, is elated and says that the authorities “have finally listened to the people.” “I have always been worried that the Chinese would buy up all of our land,” Adilkhanuly told Eurasianet. “They will make a profit off our land, and the Kazakhs will work for them for a pittance. This must not be allowed.”