Kazakhstan’s Anti-Corruption Agency Recovers Nearly $4 Billion Since 2022
Kazakhstan’s Anti-Corruption Agency, under the leadership of Chair Askhat Zhumagali, has made significant strides in combating corruption and recovering stolen assets. Since 2022, the agency has successfully returned property assets and funds totaling 1.9 trillion tenge (US$3.9 billion) to the state and quasi-public sector entities.
During a recent meeting with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, Zhumagali highlighted the agency’s achievements, including the transfer of 153.3 billion tenge (US$321.5 million) to the education infrastructure support fund. This funding has been used to construct 80 schools, with 50 schools already opened to students.
In addition to discussing the return of stolen assets, Zhumagali and Tokayev also addressed other anti-corruption measures, such as the implementation of Digital Tenge, a digital form of the Kazakh currency. Efforts to eradicate corruption in road construction and the agricultural sector were also discussed during the meeting.
Zhumagali further elaborated on the agency’s efforts to address corruption in the education sector through the Comfortable School national project. By analyzing potential corruption risks and implementing digital solutions, the agency aims to resolve long-standing issues such as the shortage of student places and delays in facility delivery.
The meeting also focused on eliminating corruption factors that have led to multi-billion dollar thefts from the teachers’ salary fund. This year, the agency has introduced digital solutions to automate budget processes, integrate treasury systems with educational organizations’ accounting systems, and implement biometrics for signing payment documents.
Overall, Kazakhstan’s Anti-Corruption Agency continues to make significant progress in fighting corruption and ensuring transparency in public institutions. With ongoing efforts to recover stolen assets and implement anti-corruption measures, the agency is working towards a more accountable and corruption-free society.
