The capital looks dirty and gloomy, while approximately one billion tenge has been allocated for decorating the Esil district of Astana. Where is this money going?

Prominent economist Rustem Zhansetov is demanding an investigation by the Anti-Corruption Agency with outrage. In his words:

«Recently, there was news that a certain company under the management of someone named Borovinsky won a tender for New Year decorations in the Esil district of the capital for a whopping 848 million tenge. It’s noteworthy that this company consistently won similar competitions under the ill-fated Kulginov, which raises questions. Ideally, everyone who won under him should be checked by the Anti-Corruption Agency.

At first glance, it’s just regular news, but digging a bit deeper raises questions. Why should the service be provided by December 31st, according to the competition documentation? Who wrote such a condition — someone unreasonable? Does he decorate his Christmas tree on December 31st? Doesn’t he understand that New Year decorations are not done right before the New Year but well in advance, at least a month earlier, to create a festive atmosphere? This is done in the entire civilized world, to which the Esil district obviously does not belong. December is already in full swing, but the capital remains gray, dirty, and gloomy.

As many probably remember, the decoration of the left bank was nothing extraordinary in previous years. Some cheap Chinese garlands hung randomly, and a few installations in squares. Honestly, I hadn’t thought about how much all of this could cost before, but even roughly, certainly not nearly a billion tenge, especially considering that the Nura district has separated from Esil.

The third question is why spend huge amounts every year on the annual renewal of decorations and illumination when you can come up with long-term solutions that can be used every year, saving a lot of money? Is it a lack of imagination or not knowing how? I can give you ideas, dear budget devourers.

There are also tools and methods where you can decorate the city for holidays without significant expenses from the state budget.»