"A Year of Bold Decisions": MP Khodjanazarov on Prime Minister Bektenov's Performance

A year has passed since Olzhas Bektenov took office as Kazakhstan’s Prime Minister, and it has been anything but easy.

The key challenges were economics, tax policy, budget optimization, and business support. During a Majilis plenary session, Orda.kz asked Aidarbek Khodjanazarov, Deputy and Chair of the Respublica party, for his assessment of the government’s performance under Bektenov’s leadership.

Khodjanazarov described the past year as “a year of bold decisions.” While not all initiatives have caused an unambiguous reaction, he emphasized that the government has not shied away from complex issues and has demonstrated a willingness to take responsibility.

The Deputy noted that for the first time in independent Kazakhstan’s history, the Prime Minister comes from a younger generation of leaders:

It’s encouraging to see a Prime Minister from the 80s, someone without ties to the Soviet-era bureaucracy. It’s unfortunate that he assumed office during such a challenging period, but at the same time, isn’t this the perfect opportunity to demonstrate that our generation works and thinks differently?

However, he pointed out that Bektenov’s performance cannot be judged solely by his new initiatives, as much of his time has been spent addressing the consequences of past decisions — or inaction.

The current Prime Minister is dealing with inherited problems. Even before officially taking office, he had to manage flood relief efforts, and he did so swiftly. Houses were rebuilt, and compensation was provided to victims. These efforts don’t get talked about enough, but they are crucial indicator.

Khodjanazarov also discussed economic policy, particularly the budget deficit, which he also described as a legacy of previous administrations.

According to Khodjanazarov, the government has made significant progress in increasing revenues and reducing financial loopholes.

In just eight months last year, customs duties and tax revenue rose by 92%, reaching 2.3 trillion tenge. 

Over the year, Bektenov increased budget revenues from customs duties and taxes, which means a reduction in gray schemes at customs. These funds are now being directed toward social programs and infrastructure. Significant savings were also achieved in public procurement: almost a trillion tenge. The share of single-source procurements — where contracts are awarded directly, without competition — dropped from 64% to 23%. These aren’t just numbers; this is a real effort to combat long-standing opacity in the system. Tax breaks for large corporations, including bookmakers and second-tier banks, were reduced by 1.3 trillion tenge.

Khodjanazarov noted significant strides in agricultural support. Preferential financing for the agro-industrial sector is set to increase from 140 billion tenge to 700 billion tenge by 2025.

Moreover, new approaches have doubled subsidies for domestic agricultural machinery without requiring additional budgetary allocations.

At least three previous Prime Ministers spoke about such support measures, but only Bektenov managed to implement them. The government also promptly resolved the problem of border closures with Russia, which helped prevent $400 million in losses for farmers and saved two million tons of grain.

Despite his overall positive assessment, Khodjanazarov disagrees with certain government decisions — most notably, the proposal to raise the VAT rate to 20%, which sparked controversy within the business community.

You know my position — I do not support this decision. The proposal is now headed to parliament, and we will defend our stance. But the fact that such a difficult issue is even up for debate is a sign of a government willing to make tough calls, something we haven't seen in a long time.

He stressed that avoiding mistakes is not the goal; instead, what matters is being open to reform and dialogue.

Reflecting on the year, Khodjanazarov acknowledged the government’s willingness to embrace change but emphasized the need for deeper systemic reforms. He also called for greater engagement with diverse political voices.

In the past, Prime Ministers only met with one party. I hope Bektenov breaks that tradition and engages with representatives across the political spectrum. We are from the same generation, which only yesterday worked in the fields or did business, and today represents the interests of business in parliament. We have something to offer.

Original Author: Editorial Team