The CSR Working Group seeks to engage policymakers and businesses on how to best mobilize social capital in Kazakhstan. A guiding principle of its work is improving CSR practice in Kazakhstan, in particular loosening government mandates on CSR limitations and promoting best practices in socially responsible giving. Recently the group has focused on impediments to the successful promotion of CSR activities, and encouraged collaboration between member organizations to carry out CSR projects.

Among the Working Group’s successful past initiatives are the creation of a CSR website (www.csrkz.org) to promote corporate social responsibility and sustainable business in Kazakhstan, and to connect the various actors in CSR across Kazakhstan, and the CSR Journalism project, implemented by the EFCA and funded by Exxon Mobil, USAID, and PricewaterhouseCoopers. The project seeks to improve the quality of CSR-related news coverage by training journalists in reporting CSR issues.

AmCham launched its Atyrau Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) Working Group in May 2010. The group aims to raise awareness of CSR issues and initiatives in the Atyrau business community.  In addition to partnering with the Almaty CSR group on projects such as a guide to Best Practices in Socially Responsible Giving, the group studies the practice of CSR in the Atyrau region in order to identify common themes, lessons learned, overlapping sectors, etc. By sharing information and collaborating on projects, the group aims to increase the impact that their programs have on the local community.

The Foreign Investment Working Group's mission is to represent the interests of the business community in Kazakhstan, identify problems encountered by investors and proactively work with senior officials in the Kazakhstan government to address these issues. Topics on the agenda vary with suggestions from participating members. Meetings in the past have included updates from the Commercial Section for the U.S. Embassy, discussions on Kazakhstan's anticipated WTO accession and the draft Law on Procurement. More recent meetings have included discussions on cross-border trade, the impact of the new tax code and cooperation with the Foreign Investors Council.

The Astana Foreign Investment Working Group was launched in July 2011 with the mission of representing and supporting the interests of the foreign business community in Kazakhstan. As with the Almaty Foreign Investment Working Group, the Astana group seeks to identify and address problems encountered by foreign investors and to collaborate with relevant government agencies to improve the investment climate in Kazakhstan. The group will serve as a forum for members to share information, raise concerns, and learn about the latest legislative developments. Past presenters have included representatives from the US Embassy, Samryk-Kazyna, and the Foreign Investors’ Council.

The working group is well-attended by a variety of HR specialists from law, oil & gas, consumer products, and telecommunications firms. The group will continue to raise the profile of HR management through group initiatives focused on meeting compliance with legislation, talent attraction and recruitment, performance management and retention. The group also provides a forum to discuss the changing labor legislation and its impact on HR, and will also work with legal advisors and labor authorities to ensure improvement of legislation and administrative procedures while sharing information on the implementation of best HR practices.

The Atyrau Human Resources Working Group meets quarterly and is attended by HR specialists primarily from the fields of oil and gas. Headed by Derek Toffer of FLUOR, the group met for the first time in May 2010. The focus is on HR issues affecting member companies in Atyrau with the goal of better understanding common HR policies, legislation, talent attraction, and performance management. Local content requirements will also be a key topic in the Working Group as the issue has had an increasing impact on companies in the extractive industries.

As Aktau pursues its ambitious municipal development plan aimed at expanding infrastructure and creating a major Caspian port to better serve the oil and gas industry, the city’s AmCham membership grows, and with it the need to discuss major issues in the investment climate. To that end, the Aktau Human Resources Working Group is a new group, the first AmCham Working Group in Aktau. Its opening meeting was held in May 2012, and it is directed at HR specialists primarily from the fields of oil and gas. The group will focus on current issues relating to local content legislation and work permits, as well as other HR issues specific to the oil and gas sector in Western Kazakhstan.

The Technology and Innovation Working Group evolved out of the long-standing Information and Communication Technologies Working Group. Its scope of enquiry was expanded to encompass the greater scope of technology forming an essential component of industry in Kazakhstan, as the country diversifies its economy. This new group will launch in October 2012 and will proceed to define its priority themes. Industries represented will be engineering, chemical products, power, mining, communications, health, consumer products, and others. The groups will work to promote best practices through information sharing, help AmCham members expand sales of goods and services, assist in the development of member companies new to Kazakhstan's technology and innovation market, discuss and formulate common positions on policy and regulation, and act as a forum to discuss and review technology and innovation developments in industry and government.

With the Kazakhstan tax code currently undergoing important changes, the Tax Working Group aims to be at the forefront of these and other important issues regarding taxation. The group meets regularly to discuss legislative amendments and issues of practice and application of tax legislation. Topics discussed over the past year include corporate income tax, international taxation, VAT, payroll taxes, transfer pricing, and Customs Valuation Adjustment. This year, group members also drafted and submitted a letter containing recommendations and proposals to the government regarding double taxation and the inclusion of royalties in customs value. The group will continue to address issues of concern to AmCham members and communicate with policy makers in Kazakhstan.

The Astana Tax Working Group aims to be at the forefront of major tax developments and other important issues regarding taxation. The group meets on a quarterly basis to discuss legislative amendments and issues of practice and application of tax legislation. The group has considered a variety of significant topics which have most recently included changes to the Tax Code, threats to Tax Stability, changes in Export Duties, and contract sanctity. In the future, the group will also work to submit relevant recommendations and proposals to the public-private sector dialogue on taxation.

The Tax Working Group in Aktau is the newest of AmCham’s tax working groups and follows the example of the Working Groups in Almaty, Astana, and Atyrau, with the aim to be at the forefront of major developments and other central issues regarding taxation. The group was launched in Spring 2012 under the leadership of Tomas Balco, KIMEP, and provides a forum for companies in this region to share knowledge and discuss tax related issues unique to the oil and gas industry. At the first meeting double taxation and transfer pricing were discussed. In the future the group also intends to be involved with drafting tax recommendations for the Government of Kazakhstan.

As in Almaty and Astana, the Atyrau Tax Working Group aims to be at the forefront of major developments and other central issues regarding taxation. The group, which is led by Tomas Balco, KIMEP, intends to serve as a forum for companies in this region to share knowledge and discuss tax related issues unique to the oil and gas industry. Thus far, discussions have centered on draft amendments to the tax code, particularly on their impact on subsoil operations. The group will also play a role in policy advocacy by aiding the Almaty and Astana Working Groups in drafting tax recommendations for the Government of Kazakhstan.

After a period of inactivity, in light of Kazakhstan’s progression toward WTO accession, this group will be renewed in Autumn 2012 in the hopes that it is now of greater relevance to our members. The Trade & Customs Working Group provides members with the opportunity to discuss major trade barriers and customs regulatory issues while working to promote greater cooperation with the Kazakhstan customs administration. As the recent Customs Union between Kazakhstan, Russia, and Belarus changes the nature of trade in the region, the group has focused most of its efforts in the past on staying abreast of changes in the customs code and analyzing the impact that the union will have on logistical concerns such as tariff levels, required documentation, and compliance. Other focus areas include trade facilitation, e-customs, customs valuation, WTO accession, and local content development.

The Trade and Customs Working Group intends to host its first Atyrau meeting in Autumn 2012 in order to better engage our Atyrau members with a focus on the oil and gas industry. Given the reach and variability of the Customs Union, the new Working Group will serve as a forum to educate members and discuss changing legislation and regulations. The question of Kazakhstan’s accession to the WTO and issues surrounding it will also be addressed. 

The group will collaborate with the Almaty Trade and Customs Working Group on overlapping issues and advocate on behalf of AmCham members to relevant agencies within the Government of Kazakhstan. Topics of consideration will include local content regulation and operational challenges in cross-border trade and customs.