Astana, 31 October. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed creating a state commission to oversee the spending of budget funds under the “People’s Construction” programme, writing about it on the social network X, Akorda reported.
“I consider it necessary to create a state commission to oversee the spending of budget funds during the implementation of the programme,” the President wrote. According to him, the commission will include heads of a number of line agencies, deputies of the Kurultai and maslikhats, members of the Halyk Kenesi, public figures, activists, volunteers and journalists. The Halyk Kenesi is the People’s Council, set up in the reform of state power; maslikhats are the representative bodies of regions, cities and districts.
The programme, which the President announced in the Address of 28 October, will receive 6.5 trillion tenge from the National Fund through the end of 2029. The money is to go to building and modernising infrastructure in every region: roads and bridges, utility networks, schools, hospitals, generating capacity, and cultural and sports facilities, Exclusive.kz writes. The statements by Akorda and the President’s press secretary do not give a deadline for creating the commission, its chair or its powers.
What it means: Oversight of the spending goes beyond the agencies: besides officials, the commission will include deputies, public figures and journalists. For now this is a proposal with no deadline, chair or description of powers.
Who benefits: Deputies of the Kurultai and maslikhats, members of the Halyk Kenesi, public figures and journalists, who get seats on the commission. The agencies that will spend the programme’s money gain one more overseer. What rights the commission will receive is not reported.
Background: Questions about National Fund spending on infrastructure arose even before the programme started: the Supreme Audit Chamber found questions about 66 projects worth about 1 trillion tenge in total, and the Ministry of Finance had planned to direct 5 trillion tenge from the National Fund to infrastructure in 2027–2029, while the Address names about 6.5 trillion through the end of 2029. On 29 October the Government set out to draw up by the end of the year a list of “People’s Construction” projects, and on 30 October the Kurultai told all committees to treat it as a priority.
We have also reported on what is known about the “People’s Construction” plan worth 6.5 trillion tenge, on auditors finding questions about 66 National Fund projects worth 1 trillion and on the Kurultai telling committees to take up a new Civil Code and road quality.
