The Agency for Regulation and Development of the Financial Market of the Republic of Kazakhstan published a Q&A outlining its gradual shift toward preventive conduct supervision and its guidance on fair conduct and responsible lending. Financial institutions are expected to embed responsible lending in daily processes, assess how debt will affect borrowers and prevent manipulation or product tying throughout the customer relationship. The safeguards prohibit preselected consent for paid services or insurance. Where insurance is required for a loan, borrowers may choose any suitable insurer, and creditors must offer independent alternatives if needed without worsening the loan’s core terms. Customers retain a 14-day right to cancel insurance and receive a refund, less the premium attributable to the coverage period and termination costs capped at 10% of the premium. Financial institutions must also revise remuneration systems so bonuses reflect service quality, fair conduct and complaint trends rather than only sales or lending volumes. The recommendatory guidance identifies expected and unacceptable practices, including aligning loan terms with an asset’s useful life, providing clear cost information before signing and avoiding manipulative interfaces. The agency will assess implementation, use the findings to evaluate firms’ product governance and consider additional requirements in legal acts.

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