Economist Names Kazakhstan Regions Lagging in Investment Transparency

Ten regions of Kazakhstan showed a high level of transparency in investment planning, while the rest are lagging behind, economist Ruslan Sultanov says, Orda.kz reports.

Economist Ruslan Sultanov compiled a ranking of Kazakhstan’s regions by transparency and openness in investment planning based on open akimat data and published planning documents.

Starting this year, regional authorities are required to submit the same investment-related documents as the republican government. These include three key documents: a development plan, an investment plan, and maps of priority zones.

As Sultanov explains, each region is expected to report not only general investment goals, but also specific projects, the territories where they will be implemented, and their sources of financing. This requirement is set out in the new version of the Budget Code.

In practice, however, not all regions have published the full set of required documents. According to Sultanov, the akimats of Almaty city and Ulytau region have not published them. In Karaganda region, the documents are available on the website of the regional department of economy and budget planning.

There are no investment plans published for Aktobe, East Kazakhstan, Pavlodar, and Mangystau regions, or for Astana and Shymkent. Maps of priority zones have not been published by Akmola, Aktobe, East Kazakhstan, and Pavlodar regions, or by Astana and Shymkent.

Ten regions showed a high level of investment transparency: Almaty region, Atyrau, Zhambyl, West Kazakhstan, Kostanay, Kyzylorda, North Kazakhstan, and Turkestan regions, as well as Abay and Zhetysu regions.

Sultanov says investment transparency across the regions remains uneven.

Not all akimats disclose the full chain from goals to projects, territories, and financing. As a result, comparability and accountability are reduced, while transparency becomes a key condition for the effectiveness of the entire planning system. the economist concludes. 

Original author: Alexey Afonsky

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