Kazakhstan to offer miners tax cuts to avoid layoffs

ASTANA Jan 29 (Reuters) - The government of Kazakhstan, home to several large mining companies, plans to offer tax cuts to miners in exchange for pledges not to sack their workers, Finance Minister Bolat Zhamishev said on Thursday.

Miners across the world are struggling as metal prices have fallen sharply due to sagging demand in a deepening downturn.

"(The government) is preparing a decision on introducing lower rates and, as a condition for these rates to be applied, companies must not sack the workers... who have become redundant today," Zhamishev told a government meeting.

Finance Ministry estimates total tax cuts for the sector to be worth about $200 million, it said in a statement.

Mining firms ENC (ENRC.L) and Kazakhmys (KAZ.L) run their core operations in the Central Asian state. (Reporting by Raushan Nurshayeva; Writing by Olzhas Auyezov; Editing by Anshuman Daga)