The Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market of the Republic of Kazakhstan has adopted amendments to Kazakhstan’s rules on microcredit agreements to set how microfinance organisations and their staff may interact with borrowers who have overdue debt, including limits on contact and new conduct requirements. Contact with an overdue borrower may take place by telephone, including via internet calling applications, no more than once per working day and only between 9:00 and 21:00. When interacting with a borrower, the creditor must provide specified information, including the organisation’s name and location, the caller’s name and position, a breakdown of outstanding overdue and current amounts (principal, interest, commissions and penalties), and the borrower’s liabilities and other obligations under the contract and the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Microfinance Activities. The amendments also introduce a list of unfair practices, including providing false identity or employment details, misleading borrowers or related parties about the amount or basis of the debt, disseminating information that harms honour, dignity or business reputation or may cause property damage, and engaging third parties not connected to obligations under the contract except in cases needed to establish the borrower’s location or contact details for settlement and repayment. The changes take effect from 28 February 2025 and also align the framework with related legislative amendments, including allowing an individual borrower to request changes to microcredit contract terms via the microfinance organisation’s information channels, permitting escalation to the microfinance ombudsman where no mutually acceptable solution is reached, and shortening the deadline for notifying the borrower about a payment delay and their right to seek debt settlement from 20 to 10 calendar days.

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