Kazakhstan: Imitation of struggle against corruption

Imitation of struggle against corruption – “know-how” of the Kazakh authorities in power-struggle and stealing of what left from huge resources of Kazakhstan

Since the first months of the New Year 2008, authorities of our country have developed the stormy activities, aimed to hide big scale crisis in political, economic and public live of Kazakhstan. With this purpose president Noursultan Nazarbaev's report «Growth of well-being of citizens of Kazakhstan - an overall objective of a state policy» has been formulated. As a matter of fact, it became a smoke screen for covering large failures of the Kazakh authorities, with far going purpose to conceal decrease of living standards of people and to bleach the failed policies of the last years. For these purposes traditional methods of brain washing and the fooling by fine words were used by official propaganda. Without any excuse, president Nazarbaev has again told to present party-members of “Nur-Otan” and to its own government staff “how to adhere to the Kazakhstan national strategy of occurrence into the 50 most competitive states of the world”. As usual, he routinely lectured about “modernizations of a society”, and "innovative development of a national economy” within the so much advertised program "30 corporate leaders”.

Innovative aspect of the last years policies is so called program called “Ten strikes on corruption”. The idea more populist, than sincere. It is aimed to create the impression that the government is fighting with universal phenomena of the nowadays Kazakh life - corruption. But how about the president and his cronies, who have unlawfully “privatized” huge land plots and natural resources of the country? The unwritten “stories” of dirty deals could complete more then dozen of criminal reports in case they will be re-visited in the courts and will undergo criminal investigations. Under pretext of the above-mentioned campaign very recently minister of Kazakh railways was purged, number of governors (akims) was misplaced, etc.

But let's give the authorities a chance and try to believe in sincerity of their intentions – give them a helpful hand and provide all necessary assistance to realize its plan on struggle against corruption. As has offered one of oppositional politicians, actually this plan is realizable, if its each point is enriched by at least one additional measure. And only then these measures could become a real strikes against, instead of being painless stings of toothless Authority.

In that case the program should include following actions:

Firstly, it is necessary to clarify real volume and the size of the budget of the Presidential Administration. Then ordinary Kazakhs can really estimate "cost" of a life of the president. When the cost of life of the president and its administration became transparent, we at once shall find out that only on this it is possible to save tens of millions dollars per year.

Secondly, it is time bring accountability to the budget of “Nur-Otan” party. The world experience demonstrates that activity of any party, public organization and the nongovernmental organizations should be transparent, and sources of its financial receipts legal. As is known in the modern world a number of statutory acts and the regulations directed against financing of terrorism, bleaching of criminally acquired means and criminal incomes introduced. And from this elementary point of view of the public it is absolutely necessary to know, who finances party in power, to which extends sources of its financing are legal? Moreover, having understood the mechanism of financing of our party in power, we could immediately end such practice, as multi-million kick-backs (obviously undeclared and “tax-free”), which large businessmen are compelled to pay for the “protection” to “Ak-Orda”/

Thirdly, the Government should answer who is the owner and should be hold responsible for safety environment, observation of labor legislation and social protection of the workers on the number of national corporations, like “Kazakhmys”. It is necessary to define how and due to what “financial cuts” and “savings” airplanes purchases are funded, how the salary and pay-outs disbursed, and from where the extra profit is appropriated. Any self-respecting state should know the faces of true owners of national enterprises, in-first turn original owners of the largest infrastructural assets. Such an approach allows the concerned government to collect taxes in full, not allowing shadow shareholders to withdraw profits on offshore accounts. When we will learn, who in a reality owns the corporation, it becomes clear, and why it is easily buys the largest in the world airplanes, without investing any penny into the safety measures at workplace and retaining in extreme poverty thousand of workers, citizens of our country.

Fourthly, it is necessary urgently find out who is mysterious business partner of Lakshmi Mittal. The public should know, who is true "protector" of this businessman? Having clarified who is the receiver half of “Indian-billionaire’s-leaving-in-Kazakhstan” income, we will understand, why nobody (except of bunch of appointed scapegoats) was hold responsible for death of 191 miners at Mittal’s enterprises in Karaganda.

Fifthly, it is time to investigate who receives 60 cents from each barrel of the Kazakh oil extracted by “Shevron”, and clarify other episodes of “Kazkhgate”. The world knows no other precedents when the "owner" of oil deposits - the state would receive 16 % of profit. Normal figures in such cases are 60 %. Our so called business "partners" take away all, but 84 %. Even if their profit makes 20 %, where you did you saw the extraction cost of 64 %? In the case, what for such oil is necessary? Nobody and nowhere produce oil on such conditions. Hence the real profit rate far exceeds 20 %, and should be at level three-four times higher.

Sixthly, it is time to transfer the shares in “Rixos” hotel-ring in Astana, turkish Antalya and the Croatian Dubrovnik to the Government. As is known, the government official, without paying any dollar, has somehow appeared to become co-owner of the international five-star hotels network. Corruption? Certainly! Having transferred to the state his potion of shares, the official could redeem his fault before deceived people.

Seventhly, it is necessary to return to the state coffers all movable property and the real estate illegally privatized by an Economic Department (HOZU) of the Presidential Administration and the Government. As it is known, the group of officials, using their functional positions and posts, has appropriated sanatoriums, rest houses, hunting fields, farms, part-time farms, housing estates and the vast volume of land-plots earlier was in charge of Economic Department (HOZU). The total cost of alienated and falsely privatized assets far exceeds billions dollars.

In-eighth it is necessary to investigate circumstances of capitalization of large domestic banks and it will be right to start up with re-privatization ATF-BANK. The authorized capital of the given bank has been paid-up from the proceeds of raw materials export-sales by the state-owned foreign trade enterprises, when the money were not returned to the country from abroad. As is known, the majority of existing today kazakhstani banks used this scheme for the long time.

In-ninth it is necessary to clear-up a situation around “Mangistaumunaygas” - who to whom and how much is selling? The one well-known politician has ordered the Government to redeem its own lot of shares in this Kazakhstan’s largest oil company. It is time at last to understand who is the true “boss” in the country owner and whose interests protects the Kazakh government. In particular, to define on what offshore accounts budgetary money leaves.

Tenthly, it is time to put things in order in financial sphere and to return to people the money from secret accounts in the South-Asian banks. At secret accounts in banks of Indonesia, Singapore and Hong Kong the financial resources having a corrupt origin are concentrated. Return of this money to the country will allow to soften consequences of financial crisis for ordinary citizens of Kazakhstan.

It is clear, that, having made even these steps, we will not push far ahead in our fight against corruption, since it’s already late. To complete proposed actions it is absolutely compulsory that Mr. N.Nazarbaev has stepped down and gave the opportunity to fill the highest public office in the country to the normal, fair, competent and uncorrupted. Only then the country would be able to fully restore itself in 15 or 20 years. Still, the proposed scenario is impossible and Mr. N.Nazarbaev will press-down Kazakhstan for another 5 years. And that is not matter of fact, that after all the normal and fair president will come to power. So, dears, Kazakhstan will not become the normal country on our memory.

Musa Feliksov

Source: HULIQ