Kazakhstan to strengthen border control to combat illegal petroleum product export

ASTANA. Aug 21 (Interfax) - Kazakhstan will strengthen control at the state border to prevent the illegal export of petroleum products, the government's press service reported.

First Deputy Prime Minister Roman Sklyar gave the instruction on Thursday following a meeting on the domestic fuels and lubricants market situation. The meeting discussed issues of ensuring stable supplies of fuels and lubricants to the domestic market and strengthening control over the movement of petroleum products in border regions.

"Following the meeting, the first deputy prime minister instructed responsible state bodies to develop a detailed plan to prevent the illegal flow of petroleum products and to strengthen control at the state border, including through monitoring the movement of goods and fuel consumption in the regions," the government's statement said.

Sklyar said the state's priority was to meet domestic needs. "Price disparities and logistics should not create conditions for a deficit," the statement said.

The current market situation is stable, and there is a necessary fuel reserve, the Energy Ministry said.

This issue is under the government's close control.

Kazakhstan has maintained a ban on the export of gasoline and other petroleum products by road since January 2021, extending it regularly by six months, most recently on May 19, 2025, to prevent domestic fuel shortages.