From September 1, pet owners in Kazakhstan must register their cats and dogs, including implanting a chip or attaching tags, media reports.
Due to this, pet owners in Central Asia country started to assume that they would be required to pay taxes for their pets.
The Ministry of National Economy replied that they have no plans to introduce such a tax and are not considering the question.
Meanwhile, the Forestry and Wildlife Committee of the Ministry of Ecology did not rule out the possibility of introducing a tax on pets in Kazakhstan. The department assigns district inspectors to identify unscheduled and unregistered animals.
Refusal to register an animal or violating accounting standards will result in fines for Kazakhstanis. Individuals will be fined KZT 34,500 (nearly $76) for the first offense and KZT 69,000 (almost $152) for subsequent violations within a year.
After a backlash on social media, the Committee assured the public that no raids would be conducted to check pet microchipping.
Earlier, Daryo reported that Kazakhstan's Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, Zulfiya Suleimenova, emphasized the importance of animal protection policies in the country. She suggested increasing budgeting to create separate services within internal affairs agencies to address animal protection thoroughly. The Minister also stressed the need for the responsible treatment of animals to be implemented and enforced, including among animal owners, to increase commitment towards animal protection.
Kazakhstan adopted the law 'On Responsible Treatment of Animals' on March 1, 2022, which strengthens criminal and administrative liability for animal abuse and incitement and includes provisions for raising public awareness and prohibiting animal cruelty propaganda.
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