Kazakhstan : an ambitious pension reform

Abstract

The pension reform in Kazakhstan was instituted to remove a deteriorating, and costly pay-as-you-go (PAYGO) system with limited liabilities, a relatively low worker to pensioner ratio, and accumulating pension arrears. Analysis was conducted to assess whether the economy could sustain a radical reform, which would make the implicit pension debt explicit. The first section of this report reviews the reform, and provides a synopsis of the thinking behind its development, including the events leading up to it, and the failings of the PAYGO system. In the second section, the administrative, business, and regulatory structures created by the pension reform legislation are described. In the third section, the progress of these entities in meeting the objectives of the reform is evaluated, particularly in terms of regulatory, and financial market performance.