On November 12, a delegation from Sichuan Road & Bridge Construction Group of Shudao Group visited NARXOZ × FOTIMA LAW&TAX OFFICE to conduct in-depth consultations and discussions on topics such as investment compliance in Kazakhstan, local legal practices, cross-border financial and tax planning, and project risk control. Together, they will pave the way for compliance for infrastructure projects in Central Asia.
The delegation was led by Pu Guowei, Deputy General Manager of Sichuan Road & Bridge Group, and included Senior Advisor Cheng Bangxing, Development Department Director Su Yanzhong, Project Manager Liang Lei, Materials and Equipment Department Director Li Linfeng, and Shandong Operations Manager Jiang Wei. The team covered core business segments such as business development, project management, material support, and regional operations, focusing on the company's real pain points and pre-emptive risk assessment in infrastructure investment and engineering contracting in Kazakhstan and Central Asia.
Sichuan Road & Bridge Construction Group Co., Ltd. (Stock Code: 600039) is a core subsidiary of Shudao Investment Group and the first A-share listed company in Sichuan Province's transportation system. Originating from the Sichuan-Tibet Highway construction team, the company inherits the accumulated experience in engineering construction in the complex environment of the plateau and has now formed an integrated service capability across the entire civil engineering industry chain, encompassing highways, railways, bridges, tunnels, and municipal engineering. The group's total assets exceed 260 billion yuan, with annual operating revenue exceeding 115 billion yuan. Its overseas business spans more than 30 countries and regions worldwide, possessing leading domestic and world-class technical and construction advantages in areas such as deep-water long-span bridges, high-altitude complex geological tunnels, and transportation hub EPC (Engineering, Procurement, and Construction) projects. Currently, Sichuan Road & Bridge is actively responding to the "Belt and Road" initiative, focusing on the Central Asian market as a key area for overseas business expansion, continuously developing major projects in transportation infrastructure and energy support, and steadily promoting localization and in-depth development.
FOTIMA LAW&TAX OFFICE is a professional cross-border legal and tax service agency deeply rooted in Central Asia, serving Chinese companies investing overseas. It has a long-standing presence in the Kazakhstan market. The agency focuses on country-specific compliance, cross-border tax structuring, investment risk control system development, and supporting services for business establishment. It has established a joint legal clinic with NARXOZ University, bringing together a team of experienced local practitioners familiar with Kazakh civil and commercial law, tax law, labor regulations, engineering bidding, and foreign investment regulations. They possess a deep understanding of local regulatory standards, industry practices, and the practical challenges of engineering projects, providing Chinese companies investing and undertaking projects in Central Asia with integrated local solutions encompassing legal, tax, and commercial aspects throughout the entire project lifecycle. These solutions cover due diligence, structuring, contract drafting and review, employment management, tax filing, and dispute prevention.
During the discussion session, the FOTIMA team, taking into account the business characteristics, investment models, and capital flow features of large-scale infrastructure EPC general contracting projects, broke down and provided practical suggestions for Sichuan Road & Bridge's key concerns. The content covered several core areas, including foreign investment access and filing requirements in Kazakhstan, selection of engineering contracting entity structure, cross-border tax planning and compliance of related-party transactions, dispatch of foreign employees and local employment management, risk classification in EPC contracts, setting of guarantees and settlement terms, and proactive prevention of project disputes. They also highlighted common risks that the infrastructure industry may encounter when conducting business locally, such as policy changes, local supervision, labor employment, and tax audits, and shared practical experience and optimization paths from similar Chinese-funded infrastructure companies.
Both parties agreed that the Central Asian infrastructure market offers vast opportunities, but local compliance is a prerequisite for the steady progress of projects. Going forward, both parties will establish a regular communication and coordination mechanism to continuously monitor the progress of Sichuan Road & Bridge's projects in Kazakhstan and Central Asia, providing timely policy updates, conducting specialized seminars, and offering dynamic compliance support. Professional legal and financial services will safeguard project implementation, jointly helping Sichuan Road & Bridge achieve high-quality and sustainable localized operations in the Central Asian market, and jointly serving the Belt and Road Initiative's connectivity construction.
