Stolen assets valued at 360 billion Kazakh tenge set for recovery and return to Kazakhstan
Fighting Corruption in Kazakhstan: Latest Developments and Ongoing Initiatives
In a recent meet-up with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Olzhas Bektenov, Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Agency, shared the agency's progress in combating corruption within the nation.
According to Bektenov, over 11 months, the agency has managed to reclaim assets and funds worth more than 600 billion tenge for the state. In this circle, an additional 360 billion tenge worth of property, vehicles, and funds have been pinpointed, set to be returned to the state, both domestically and abroad.
Upon the President's instruction, funds seized through Anti-Corruption Service investigations are being diverted towards school construction. In a specific case against SPK "Aktau", the guilty parties compensated 197 million tenge, the majority of which has been allocated towards the completion of a rural school.
The President was also briefed on preventive measures to deter corruption crimes. The agency chairman reported that an external analysis of various aspects, such as transport control, natural resource management, state defense orders, migration services, social-entrepreneurial corporations, and Kazakhstan Temir Zholy JSC, had been completed. This initial analysis resulted in over 2000 recommendations to eliminate corruption risks.
The President expressed the need for continuous efforts to decrease corruption levels in the country.
Now, let's talk about the broader anti-corruption landscape in Kazakhstan:
- Kazakhstan is set to create a Public Register of officials convicted of bribery and other significant corruption offenses. The register will be open to all citizens through the anti-corruption agency's website, and inclusion will be based on convictions that have taken legal effect, with removal only happening upon acquittal or expungement of the criminal record.[1]
- The legislative amendments under review will extend the scope of criminal liability for bribery. These new measures would criminalize not only the act of bribe-taking but also the promise, extortion, or demand for a bribe, catching corruption at its roots.[1]
- Apart from these efforts, legislative alterations are expected to bolster the overall anti-corruption framework, improving enforcement and transparency.[1]
Another critical area of focus is non-competitive public procurement, which has historically been associated with corruption and inefficiencies. Efforts are in progress to promote greater transparency, and competition in government contracting.[4]
Lastly, Kazakhstan is collaborating with other countries like Vietnam in their anti-corruption endeavors, aiding in information sharing, capacity building, and strategic partnerships to combat corruption jointly.[3]
These strategies represent a multi-faceted approach to dismantling corruption in Kazakhstan, combining public transparency, legal reform, preventive measures, and international cooperation.
- In Kazakhstan, plans are underway to create a Public Register of officials convicted of bribery and significant corruption offenses, which will be accessible to all citizens through the anti-corruption agency's website.
- The upcoming legislative amendments will widen the scope of criminal liability for bribery, targeting not just the act of bribe-taking but also the promise, extortion, or demand for a bribe, helping to address corruption at its roots.
- Additionally, legislative changes are anticipated to strengthen the overall anti-corruption framework, enhancing enforcement and transparency in the nation.
- Addressing non-competitive public procurement, a historically corrupt and inefficient area, Kazakhstan is working to promote greater transparency and competition in government contracting.
- In the fight against corruption, Kazakhstan is collaborating with countries like Vietnam, facilitating information sharing, capacity building, and strategic partnerships to combat corruption collectively.
