The government urgently needs to enhance the role and position of public oversight and the transparency of national companies, stated MP Yerlan Sairov in a query addressed to Deputy Prime Minister Serik Zhumin.
The MP reminded that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev set the task of doubling the country’s GDP, which requires «maximum mobilization and concentration of the intellectual and organizational power of parliament, government, and society.»
«However, it seems that some leaders and individual government members are not engaged in solving strategic tasks but are becoming experts in interpreting MPs’ statements… Government members, without confirmation, comment that MPs supposedly do not read laws. Despite real facts presented by MPs, they claim we have ideal republican roads and very good district roads,» noted Yerlan Sairov.
He added that at a recent government report, the Deputy Prime Minister «said the comments regarding the activities of NUH ‘Baiterek’ were unsubstantiated.»
«I would like to substantiate and provide concrete examples of weak performance in the quasi-state sector. First, the funding volume for quasi-state sector entities from the republican budget is increasing every year. In 2023, it amounted to 1.2 trillion tenge, which is almost one and a half times more than in 2021. The largest amount of budget funding, more than 403 billion tenge, went to ‘Baiterek.’ This is one-third, or 34%, of the total budget injections into the quasi-state sector,» says the query.
According to the MP, the second example is that even with state support measures and increased government participation, several enterprises became unprofitable and closed. Many had low utilization, not more than 30% of the declared project capacity, he believes.
«This indicates poor and deliberately false analysis and planning by the responsible quasi-state sector funds… Moreover, these facts indicate a lack of proper oversight by the government,» noted Yerlan Sairov.
The MP also pointed out that ‘Baiterek’ borrowed 1.6 trillion tenge at minimal interest rates from pension savings. He explained that the examples are based on data from the Supreme Audit Chamber.
«As you know, in Kazakhstan, only officials and top management of companies benefit from government injections into the quasi-state sector, easily transitioning from public service to the quasi-state sector and back. We believe national companies should not be dependents of the state budget and pension fund,» emphasized the MP.
The query indicates that fundamental problems exist in Kazakhstan’s economy, requiring an entirely new vision to resolve.
«Therefore, government members should not philosophize but address specific problems. I would like to remind you that the country faces more down-to-earth and pressing problems like the locust invasion in many regions. Untimely treatment of locust breeding areas will lead to multimillion-dollar losses for ordinary farmers, for whom locusts are not ‘halal’ food but a real pest. So, please take measures to save agricultural land and crops,» concluded the MP.
