A May 20 meeting of the Nur Otan Party’s National Public Council for Combating Corruption, chaired by Member of the Mazhilis (lower house of Parliament) Kairbek Suleimenov, was convened to coordinate anticorruption efforts between state and non-government entities between 2015 and 2025. Five institutional reforms proposed by the head of state were also covered.
Draft bills titled On Combating Corruption, On Public Control and On Access to Information were discussed at the meeting. Currently, the bills, which are designed to radically change Kazakhstan’s corruption prevention laws, are being expanded.
At the meeting, the participants also summarised the efforts taken between 2011 and 2015 in combating corruption. A performance analysis revealed that after the adoption of this document, a series of organisational and practical measures aimed at improving the efficiency of anti-corruption programmes, legislation, public awareness and policy were implemented. However, only five of the programme’s 10 indicators were achieved.
As time goes on, the population is becoming more and more aware of the laws surrounding corruption matters. However, according to the National Public Council, due to certain organisational deficiencies in the programme, its effectiveness has been compromised. Serious improvements in corruption levels around the country have not yet been achieved.
According to the National Public Council, the greatest number of corruption offences between 2011 and 2013 were committed in the akimats (local administrations) and their divisions. The Ministry of Internal Affairs took a dubious second place and the Ministry of Agriculture was third. A large number of offences occur in the tax and customs authorities, the Ministry of Defence and Border Patrol. Regionally speaking, South Kazakhstan, Zhambyl and Almaty lead in corruption, as well as the East Kazakhstan region, Astana and Almaty (city).
Speaking at the meeting, Chairman of the Agency for Civil Service Affairs and Anti-Corruption, Kairat Kozhamzharov outlined new approaches towards preventing corruption, which are outlined in the Action Plan for 2015-2017. They focus on strategy.
As a result of the dialogue, a resolution aimed at improving the fight against corruption was adopted and a number of specific recommendations were given to various ministries, the Agency for Civil Service Affairs and Anti-Corruption and the akimats.
