President Tokayev sets 7 tasks to combat corruption

“The country sees over 2000 corruption-related crimes every year, and above 1000 persons are liable for prosecution on average. We should together combat this social disease. My principled position is that the state has to combat corruption to its fullest elimination”, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.

The President singled out the key areas of the anti-corruption policy.

The Head of State named human rights protection as the first task.

“No one is above the law. Chief heads both in centers and in sites are in charge for their subordinates who are found to be involved in corruption. Comprehensive and systematic preventive mechanisms should be worked out, while ruling out post ex post measures”, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.

According to the announcement, the second task is to boost the constructive partnership between the state and civil society institutions. In so doing, the President gave specific tasks aimed at establishing zero tolerance towards corruption-related acts.

“The Justice Ministry was given a task to enhance legal literacy, especially anti-corruption norms. The Ministry of Education and Science needs to educate citizens in the fundamentals of anti-corruption culture from an early age”, the Head of State stated.

The third task is to strengthen public control. Kassym-Jomart Tokayev claimed for transparency in the governmental decision-making process and the involvement of NGOs in anti-corruption analysis of legal and regulatory acts at every level of governance.

“Provision of land, housing, kindergarten places – all this needs to be transparent and under control of the society as there are all the legal mechanisms for it”, the President said.

According to the Head of State, the fourth task is greater transparency of the budgetary policy.

“Civil servants’ responsibility and accountability for implementing state programs and utilizing budgetary funds need to be tightened. Mis-use of people’s funds or embezzlement will be dealt severely”, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.

The fifth area of the work, as the President outlined, is a greater role of the regions in the anti-corruption policy. In this context, according to him, the effective realisation of the Leader of the Nation-initiated project “Corruption-free regions” assumed great significance.

“My address to Governors – corruption elimination will be one of the key indications of your work. You are personally responsible”, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.

The sixth task is forced digitalization in the field of public services, which is essential for eradicating domestic corruption.

“A mere 33% of date bases are integrated to date. The Ministry of Digital development, Defense and Aerospace Industry needs to complete this work qualitatively and without delay. Our priorities are the scaling up of provision of public services via mobile phone, large-scale training for the skills needed to work with the electronic government”, the Head of State announced.

The final seventh task is to improve the public procurements system and reduce the administrative pressure on businesses.

“Now, 25 thousand organizations conduct public procurements. Anti-corruption control over them is quite complicated. Integration of public procurements, thereby freeing heads of budgetary institutions, primarily these of the social sphere, is needed. I set a task to come up with clear procurement mechanisms in central bodies”, the President said.

Concluding his speech, the President once again placed attention to the responsibility of heads of governmental bodies.

“If we are willing to eradicate corruption, then, in my opinion, governmental bodies’ heads have to resign in case their subordinates are charged with corruption offences. The decision on resignation is the prerogative of the Head of State, however a letter of resignation is essential. This is my vision on an anti-corruption course for the medium term”, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.