Kazakh PM: Digital Solutions to Combat Shadow Economy, Improve Budget Efficiency
In a meeting held on November 25, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov emphasized the growing importance of digital solutions in tackling the shadow economy, improving tax and customs administration, and enhancing the efficiency of state budget allocation.
According to the Prime Minister’s press service, significant steps have already been taken in this direction, including the Ministry of Finance’s implementation of the Online Budget Monitoring project. This digital system, which replaces traditional manual checks, processes over 150 million payments and has already resulted in the return of more than four billion tenge (US$8 million) to the state budget.
Another key initiative, the Tapsyru service, was piloted to streamline the redistribution of state property and reduce unnecessary expenditures. The platform creates a centralized registry of unclaimed assets, facilitating easier transfers and agreements. As of now, 721 participants and more than 313,000 assets are registered on the platform.
Looking ahead, the government plans to launch the Unified Personal Account of an Entrepreneur in 2025. This new system will consolidate access to the Ministry of Finance’s various information platforms, addressing issues of fragmented services and data duplication. It is designed to simplify business management and improve interactions between entrepreneurs and government bodies.
In addition to budgetary reforms, the meeting also highlighted the success of digital initiatives in social services. The voucher financing system for preschools has improved transparency in government procurement by allowing parents to select their children’s kindergarten. The Social Wallet project has digitized essential services such as free meals for children, with implementation already underway in 215 schools across Astana and several regions. This project has also integrated 726 state pharmacies, processing over 947,000 prescriptions.
By 2025, the Social Wallet will expand to distribute sports and recreational vouchers, as well as provide funding for creative activities, further enhancing the delivery of public services through digital platforms.
Through these digital advancements, Kazakhstan is not only improving its economic transparency but also strengthening the efficiency of public services, ensuring better management of public funds and resources.
