Astana Boosts Budget to Tackle Social Issues
The Kazakh capital of Astana is set to see an increase in its budget revenue plan following an extraordinary session of the city’s maslikhat (local administrative bodies) on Oct. 2. The budget revenue plan has been raised by 99.5 billion tenge (US$205 million), as approved by the session, which included amendments to the original 2024-2026 budget plan set in December 2023.
According to Kaysar Mankarayev, the head of Astana’s Department of Economics and Budget Planning, the increased plan includes 58.4 billion tenge (US$121 million) in tax revenues, 39.5 billion tenge (US$82 million) in non-tax revenues, and 10.6 billion tenge (US$22 million) from the sale of fixed assets. These additional funds will be primarily allocated towards addressing social issues, such as assisting those in need, maintaining new schools, supporting children’s sports, purchasing medicines and vaccines, providing grants and scholarships, and enhancing city landscapes.
Mankarayev emphasized that the priority in terms of expenses is fulfilling the state’s social obligations, with a focus on funding the social sector. Additionally, a significant portion of the budget will be directed towards maintaining and developing infrastructure, upgrading the city’s transportation system, and supporting local entrepreneurship.
With these updates, Astana’s revised 2024 budget now stands at 1.31 trillion tenge (US$2.7 billion), with 977.8 billion tenge (US$2.02 billion) expected from various income sources. The increased budget plan reflects the city’s commitment to addressing pressing social issues and investing in its infrastructure and economic development.
