Kazakhstan would begin imposing export duties on some companies' oil and oil products on Jan. 1, 2009, Energy Minister Sauat Mynbayev said Tuesday.
Mynbayev made the remarks at a meeting of cabinet members, the Interfax news agency reported.
The new taxes would mainly target companies that signed contracts with Kazakhstan without terms on tariff stability, he said, adding that the authorities were expected to hold talks with other oil firms on the issue.
Although oil companies may oppose the new taxes, which are also likely to bring trouble for Kazakhstan's bid to join the World Trade Organization, Prime Minister Karim Masimov has still voiced his support for the plan, local media reported.
Last November, Kazakhstan passed a law allowing the state to review or annul contracts in the natural resource sector if the national interest is threatened.
Source: Xinhua
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