The Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market of the Republic of Kazakhstan published consumer guidance for people considering a microcredit, urging borrowers to ensure the lender is a formally registered microfinance organisation and to verify its licence via the agency’s website. It also advises borrowers to read contract terms carefully, including repayment methods and any paid add-on services that may be included in documentation. The guidance reiterates pricing and fee limits, including that for short-term microcredits (up to 50 AEK for up to 45 days) the interest rate must not exceed 20% for loans up to 30 AEK and 15% for loans between 30 and 50 AEK. For other microcredits, the effective annual interest rate must not exceed 56%, total overpayment must not exceed 50% of the loan amount, and late-payment penalties are capped at 0.5% of the loan amount per day. In disputes with a microfinance organisation, borrowers can apply to the microfinance ombudsman, an independent mechanism that reviews disputes free of charge.

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