Is it illegal for a local company’s website not to provide services in the official language?
Several local companies do not have a Kazakh language option on their website but does this situation violate the laws of Kazakhstan?
The head of the Chocofamily company Ramil Mukhoryapov, found himself in the middle of a major controversy after the comment he made on “Responding in Kazakh”. It was also stated by users that there is no support in Kazak language on the websites of Aviata, Chocotravel, Chocofood.kz and Chocolife companies which ones belong to Mukhoryapaov. However, many Kazakhstani companies still do not have the option “to receive services in Kazakh language” on their websites. We share with you the interview prepared by the Stan.kz page regarding this issue’s situation in the eyes of the law.
“if a company manufactures or sells a particular product, then there must be an appropriate language of communication between customers and the seller.” said Albina Bakhtiyarkyzy who is a lawyer and also said that there are several laws regarding the offical language in the legal system of Republic of Kazakhstan.
According to article 25 of the Law on the Protection of Consumer Rights of the Republic of Kazakhstan, a seller or manufacturer of a particular product is obliged to provide information to its customers in two languages; in Kazakh and Russian languages. The Information about the name of the product, it’s price and purchase conditions, as well as information about the main consumer properties of the product, it’s values about the nutritional, biological and energy value of the product, as well as information about contraindications for certain diseases, even when the product is being selling through electronic commerce, should brought to customer’s attenion in Kazakh and Russian languages through communication technologies.
In addition, Bakhtiyarkyzy talked about the existence of the “Languages of the Republic of Kazakhstan” law and the “Mass Media Tools” (BAK) law. She stated that in the law of languages, it is written that any company, when providing information on any subject, must first provide information in the state language, namely Kazakh and only then in Russian or other languages.
The reason why I am talking about the BAK law here is that the activities of websites on the internet and all social networks are considered s a mass media tools and it is written in a precise language that the law on official language should also be observed in these media.
According to article 3 of the law, it is stated that the information disseminated by media representatives must be published first in Kazakh language and then in other languages. If the relevant information is primarily provided in Russian or another foreign language and users do not understand this information, it is of course considered a violation of the law. says lawyer Bakhtiyarkovyna.
What are the consequences if the law is broken?
Lawyer Bakhtiyarkyzy stated that according to Article 75 of the Administrative Offenses Law, citizens who violate the legislation on languages will be warned first.
In case of repetition of the action within one year from the imposition of the administrative fine, legal persons in civil servants, individual entrepreneurs, small business or non-commercial organizations – 10 months’ worth of calculation indicator (1 ETJ = 3063 tenge), legal persons in medium-sized enterprises – 20 ETJ and large commercial organizations must be fined by 50 ETJ.
In addition, in case of restriction of people’s right to choose a language and discrimination based on language, fines between 5 and 20 ETJ are applied.
The protests stemmed from Mukhoryapov’s statement earlier this week when he said that people in Kazakhstan who speak to Russians in Kazakh, even though they can speak Russian, are “some kind nationalists” and “uncultured.” After shortly that, the head of Chocofamily company has made a public apology expressing his regret on the matter.
