Economist Warns of Foreign Software Use by Kazakhstan's State Agencies

Economist Olzhas Khudaibergenov has weighed in on the recent leak of personal data belonging to Kazakhstanis, saying it highlights a broader issue: the ongoing use of foreign software by government agencies, despite official restrictions, Orda.kz reports.

In a post on Facebook, Khudaibergenov stressed the importance of protecting not only citizens’ personal information but also sensitive government data, especially financial records, except those published by quasi-state entities.

He noted that while general budget figures are publicly available, more granular financial data should remain classified:

It is clear that general budget data is still published, but there is detailed data that cannot be disclosed. Well, in general, when not very good times come, we will have to classify it so that an external circuit cannot see our data. However, a large number of government agencies (central and local) and their subsidiaries continue to use foreign solutions (mainly Russian ones like 1C), despite the fact that there is a direct, statutory ban and there are Kazakhstani options. 

He criticized the lack of enforcement, saying lower-level agencies often disregard these regulations. According to him, some companies even attempt to manipulate the software registry by registering irrelevant products, while continuing to sell unapproved software:

Unfortunately, we do not have a vertical executive structure. Lower structures can easily ignore higher structures, mislead them. There are companies that try to fraudulently enter the register for some unnecessary software (which, in principle, will not be sold), and then continue to sell software that is not in the register, which is also a violation of the law. 

Khudaibergenov called on oversight bodies — including the Anti-corruption Agency, the Prosecutor General’s Office, and the Ministry of Finance — to conduct a comprehensive audit of software procurement across the country.

He believes such a review would uncover widespread violations.

Original Author: Nikita Drobny