Financial Irregularities and Total Budget Dependence – SAC Inspected Nazarbayev University

The Supreme Audit Chamber audited Nazarbayev University's financial activities, Orda.kz reports. 

Based on its results, Alikhan Smailov identified the main problems in the university's management.

Behind the scenes at the Majilis, the SAC Head, Alikhan Smailov, spoke about financial violations and ineffective planning.  

A number of shortcomings and problematic issues have been identified. The first problematic issue is that NU continues to remain dependent on budgetary funding, although the strategic document on its development clearly stated that the university should move away from dependence on the republican budget through other sources. At the same time, despite its special status and unprecedented support measures, tax preferences, its funding continues to be 97% from the republican budget, said Smailov. 

The university also does not provide financial statements, as legislation does not provide for this.

The university's financial activities thereby remain non-transparent.

According to Smailov, some funds are used ineffectively, and there are financial violations. 

As a result of the audit, we identified ineffective planning in the amount of 73 billion tenge, and financial violations in the amount of half a billion tenge were identified. Another shortcoming is that the list of strategic partners of the university mainly consists of companies that supply goods and services to the university, bypassing competitive procedures, from a single source,he said.

He also named the insufficient commercialization of scientific research at the university a problem. 

Smailov, however, said enough budget funds are allocated for scientific research. 

The chamber brought all these facts to the attention of the university leadership and the government. 

Original Author: Ilya Astakhov