PDAC video: Kazakhstan keen to draw Canadian miners

Kazakhstan is counting on its estimated $40 trillion mineral wealth to spark a mining boom, Astana International Financial Centre (AIFC) governor Renat Bekturov says.

To attract investors, state-backed AIFC is offering a clear, modern regulatory system and easier processes for investors, Bekturov noted last month in Toronto. Kazakhstan’s pitch, which includes a strong digital platform and tax incentives, has helped register over 3,600 companies since 2018.

“We are open for business,” Bekturov said during the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada’s annual event in Toronto. “I urge all the investors and miners in Canada to come and explore Kazakhstan.”

AIFC works as its own jurisdiction, using common-law principles. It offers tax incentives, has its own ways of resolving disputes and functions as a financial free zone aimed at boosting investment and streamlining capital raising, Bekturov added.

Watch the full conversation with The Northern Miner’s western editor, Henry Lazenby.