THE ROLE OF SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES IN SHAPING KAZAKHSTAN’S STATE EXPORT POLICY

Abstract

Special economic zones are one of the key instruments of the industrial and investment policy of the Republic of Kazakhstan; however, their contribution to national exports over nearly twenty-five years has amounted to only 0.3%, indicating a substantial gap between their investment potential and export performance. This study aims to identify the institutional causes of the low export performance of Kazakhstan’s SEZ system in a context where the state provides an extensive preferential regime and has set a target of increasing non-resource exports to USD 52 billion by 2030. The methodological framework combines qualitative content analysis of regulatory and strategic documents, comparative analysis of 17 SEZs in Kazakhstan, classification of 469 priority activities according to their export orientation, and comparison of SEZ export indicators with the non-resource exports of the corresponding regions. The results show that 81.0% of priority activities are classified as export-oriented, while 93% of products manufactured by SEZ participants are sold on the domestic market. The existing system of target indicators records participants’ export shares but does not provide for regulatory consequences in the event of non-compliance, while the national export target has not been decomposed to the level of individual zones and their participants. The findings confirm the institutional nature of the constraints affecting the export function of SEZs. The study proposes introducing a “preferences in exchange for exports” principle that links preferential treatment to participants’ verifiable export commitments. The practical application of the findings lies in improving the state support mechanism for SEZs through the differentiation of preferences based on export performance, the distinction between export-oriented and non-export activities, and the establishment of an independent statistical monitoring system for SEZ performance.