Green Bazaar Administration Responds To Accusations Of Raiding And Extortion

The Green Bazaar's management issued an official statement in response to a video message from vendor Raushan Orynbay addressed to the market’s owners. The administration described the video as “another demarche” that has nothing to do with the pursuit of justice.

This is resistance to transparent rules for conducting trade and systemic reforms that deprive individuals of the opportunity to earn money through extortion, resale of stalls, and other illegal means of profit. The market administration declares: no shouting, unlawful actions, or threats will stop the restoration of order at Almaty’s Central Market,the official statement read. 

According to Ruslan Minamov, general director of DOSTAR-KOMMERTS LLP, the Green Bazaar became the first market in Kazakhstan to abandon shadow schemes.

Today, the administration’s work is fully transparent, both to regulators and the press.

We are creating civilized conditions for doing business, and naturally this does not suit those who want to return to gray schemes and illegal sources of income, Minamov stressed.

Replacing legal procedures with public speeches and emotional videos on social networks is unacceptable. There are courts, law enforcement agencies, and official communication channels to resolve disputes. When shouting and hysteria are chosen instead of dialogue, this only highlights the weakness of the arguments and the legal inconsistency of the position. We have been building a civilized trading platform for years and will not allow it to be destroyed for the sake of someone’s ambitions or populism,  he said.

The general director also questioned why Raushan Orynbay did not appeal to the relevant authorities, but instead addressed investors and founders directly:

This looks not only illogical, but also demonstratively populist. It is as if an ordinary mechanic from a Formula 1 team, instead of contacting the manager or sports committee, made claims directly to the shareholders of Ferrari or Mercedes. Such attempts to bypass legal procedures and take the conflict into the public arena are nothing more than pressure tactics aimed at public opinion.

The Green Bazaar administration also emphasized that since the management company assumed control of the market, the leadership team has remained unchanged.

As in any large organization, we have a planned rotation of specialists. Staff are refreshed, with new professionals in management, logistics, and marketing joining. But the strategic direction remains the same — to make the Green Bazaar a modern, convenient, and transparent market, Minamov said.

According to management, the actions of certain vendors are aimed primarily at protecting their own privileges, while transparency remains the company’s top priority.

Those who shout the loudest about ‘extortion’ are in fact most afraid of losing access to gray schemes, illegal reselling of places, and unreported income. We operate in full alignment with the president’s message of ‘A Just Kazakhstan.’ Transparency, official tax payments, and rejection of shadow schemes are our fundamental choice. Every tenge is accounted for, every contract recorded. We are actively implementing the transition to a civilized business model that benefits the state, entrepreneurs, and society,said the company’s director. 

The administration stressed that the Green Bazaar will continue its course of reform and the development of a modern trading platform, where entrepreneurs who comply with transparent and legal rules can work stably and honestly.

Original Author: Maria Kravtsova