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Media reports former Soviet state plans on auditing USAID programs
(MENAFN) The Kazakh government plans to conduct a thorough audit of all programs run by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) within the country, local media outlet Orda.kz reported on Tuesday.
The move comes after President Donald Trump's administration imposed a 90-day funding freeze on USAID in January, citing concerns over corruption and inefficiency.
According to Economy Minister Serik Zhumangarin, a special working group within Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry has been tasked with reviewing USAID’s activities. The audit will include a detailed assessment of funded projects, their stated objectives versus actual outcomes, and potential financial irregularities, including conflicts of interest and hidden expenditures.
USAID currently operates 28 long-term programs in Kazakhstan, covering economic development, energy, healthcare, media, and civil society, with a total budget of $26.5 million allocated for 2023–2024. Some of these initiatives also extend to the broader Central Asian region.
The audit follows broader scrutiny of USAID’s global operations. Reports last month suggested that a $21 million allocation from the agency—frozen by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—had been redirected from India to Bangladesh, raising concerns about political interference.
Additionally, former State Department official Mike Benz claimed in February that USAID had played a role in last year’s government change in Bangladesh after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina opposed a US military base in the region. The US State Department has dismissed such allegations as baseless.
Following reports of USAID's involvement in India’s political affairs, the Indian Foreign Ministry announced that it was investigating the matter.
The move comes after President Donald Trump's administration imposed a 90-day funding freeze on USAID in January, citing concerns over corruption and inefficiency.
According to Economy Minister Serik Zhumangarin, a special working group within Kazakhstan’s Foreign Ministry has been tasked with reviewing USAID’s activities. The audit will include a detailed assessment of funded projects, their stated objectives versus actual outcomes, and potential financial irregularities, including conflicts of interest and hidden expenditures.
USAID currently operates 28 long-term programs in Kazakhstan, covering economic development, energy, healthcare, media, and civil society, with a total budget of $26.5 million allocated for 2023–2024. Some of these initiatives also extend to the broader Central Asian region.
The audit follows broader scrutiny of USAID’s global operations. Reports last month suggested that a $21 million allocation from the agency—frozen by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)—had been redirected from India to Bangladesh, raising concerns about political interference.
Additionally, former State Department official Mike Benz claimed in February that USAID had played a role in last year’s government change in Bangladesh after former Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina opposed a US military base in the region. The US State Department has dismissed such allegations as baseless.
Following reports of USAID's involvement in India’s political affairs, the Indian Foreign Ministry announced that it was investigating the matter.
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