Kyrgyzstan Ministry Proposes Lowering Notary Fees to Ease Real Estate Queues

The Ministry of Justice of Kyrgyzstan is taking proactive steps to address the significant queues plaguing the "Cadastre" state institution. Deputy Minister Kuban Kazakov presented a proposal to the relevant committee of the Jogorku Kenesh (parliament) to lower the cost of notary services for real estate transactions. Currently, registering a property deal through a notary is considerably more expensive—three to four times higher—than processing it directly at "Cadastre" branches. This disparity in pricing, where notary fees can range from 2,000 to 10,000 soms or more compared to a fixed 1,000 to 5,000 soms at "Cadastre" offices, has driven citizens to abandon notary services in favor of the state institution.

The consequence of this preference has been the creation of massive queues and considerable inconvenience for the public. To combat this, the Ministry of Justice advocates for equalizing the fees. Kazakov explained that the state duty rates for notaries would be reduced to align with the tariffs of the cadastre service, a move intended to "implement the principles of social justice and ensure the accessibility of notary services."

During the parliamentary discussion, deputies inquired about the long-term possibility of transferring the entire function of real estate transaction processing to notaries, thereby relieving the burden on "Cadastre." Deputy Minister Kazakov indicated that the ministry is indeed considering this option. While exploring this potential shift, the Ministry of Justice is prioritizing the legal security of citizens and the protection of property rights. This initiative reflects a commitment to improving public services and ensuring that essential legal processes are both efficient and affordable for the citizens of Kyrgyzstan.

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For the implementation of the principles of social justice and ensuring the accessibility of notary services, we propose to reduce this fee.