In the Kyrgyz Republic, 72 percent of enterprises in the garment industry use illegal labor.

At a meeting of the "Ala-Too" deputy group, entrepreneur Asel Atabekova reported that 72% of enterprises in the textile industry in Kyrgyzstan resort to using illegal labor and foreign workers. These figures are unofficial.

Asel Atabekova emphasized that the legislation regarding the attraction of foreign labor, particularly Article 93 of the Code of Offenses, is not strict enough. This allows most producers to poach foreign workers, which in turn leads to price dumping in the market. Additionally, companies that have invested in training their employees lose them, which reduces their competitiveness. As a result, the shadow sector of the economy continues to grow, and tax revenues remain hidden from the state.

According to her, the current fine for violating the rules for attracting foreign labor is 65,000 soms — an amount that enterprises can easily pay and continue to poach workers.

The entrepreneur proposed to increase the fines and introduce additional measures, such as temporarily suspending the activities of enterprises for up to 90 days, similar to the practices adopted in Russia.

Asel Atabekova noted that a draft amendment has already been prepared, and she is ready to submit it to the deputies for consideration.