Kazakhstan shows DPI policy path to digital transformation gains

Nearly all of Kazakhstan’s second-tier banks and 75 payments, microfinance and other financial organizations are now hooked up to the country’s biometric authentication system, as digital identity is used to access a growing number of public and private services.

The country represents a positive example of how to effectively implement digital public infrastructure for developing and emerging markets, says a report from the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS).

Kazakhstan began requiring biometric authentication for loans in August, but the full production launch of the national biometric authentication system is expected to expand the use of biometrics to even more sectors.

Already, the use of online banking in the country has grown from roughly one-in-four in 2018 to near universality among Kazakhs. Digital transactions have grown from 7 percent a decade ago to 89 percent.

Kazakhstan jumped up to 28th spot in the UN’s digital government index in 2022, and has digitized over 1,000 government services.

The country has also been working with its neighbors to facilitate easier cross-border travel and trade.

CSIS identifies an open, competitive payment market, the provision of secure digital ID, and public-private partnerships as critical enablers of Kazakhstan’s digital transformation. The country’s progress on DPI is also supported by consumer protection and cybersecurity safeguards that have decreased online fraud as transactions have increased, and large-scale education campaigns. The government has invested in reaching underserved populations with network access so they can utilize digital payments and government services, and promoted financial innovation with regulatory sandboxes and co-investments in fintech and ecommerce companies.

The sum is a system that aligns with the G20’s policy recommendations for DPI, and can serve as a model for other countries, according to the report.

“While the specific design features and diffusion strategies of digital infrastructures may not always travel across markets,” CSIS says, “these policy principles do.”

Article Topics

biometric authentication  |  digital economy  |  digital ID  |  digital public infrastructure  |  financial inclusion  |  government services  |  Kazakhstan