Kazakhstan's Tokayev Demands Anti-Corruption Proposals By Nov. 24

(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 13. Kazakhstan's Government and oversight bodies must submit concrete proposals by November 24, 2026, to sharply reduce corruption offenses and improve the performance of quasi-public sector companies and their administrative staff, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said, according to the president's press service.

He made the statement during an operational meeting of the Security Council, commenting on the detention of executives of Samruk-Kazyna JSC and Kazakhstan Temir Zholy JSC.

"Yesterday, Kazakhstan's media reported the detention of executives of the Samruk-Kazyna Fund and Kazakhstan Temir Zholy. This is an extremely serious signal indicating widespread corruption in state-owned companies," Tokayev said.

He noted that investigative matters could not be disclosed under the law, particularly given that the investigation had only just begun. At the same time, he described the case as the first major corruption investigation involving state-owned companies since the announcement of the Law and Order Concept and its inclusion in the Constitution as one of the principles of public administration and social life.

The president also recalled that the Constitution had been adopted almost unanimously in a nationwide referendum on March 15 and entered into force on July 1, earning the name People's Constitution.

"No one is allowed to violate the Constitution or even mock this, one might say, sacred document," he said.

Tokayev stressed that the Constitution establishes the fundamental principles governing the state and society, including equality before the law.

"The Constitution is the fundamental law of our state and the legal passport of the people. Disregarding the Constitution and its key provisions is tantamount to discriminating against the people. We will suppress such actions in accordance with the Law and Order principle," he said.

He added that officials entrusted with public authority must act decisively whenever the state's reputation, public confidence in national institutions and Kazakhstan's international standing are at stake.

"This is our civic and political duty," Tokayev said.

In this context, he highlighted the role of Samruk-Kazyna, which manages the country's strategic assets, implements large-scale investment projects and cooperates with major foreign companies and international financial institutions. He emphasized that such partnerships involved years of negotiations, Kazakhstan's commitments and the trust of the international community.

Tokayev acknowledged that corruption remained a serious challenge and said the authorities intended to address the issue openly, ensuring that all relevant reports were investigated.

"Therefore, all reports of corruption offenses involving executives at various levels will be promptly and thoroughly investigated by the Anti-Corruption Service of the National Security Committee, with the participation of the Prosecutor General's Office. There will be no distinction between 'our own', 'not quite our own' and, even more so, 'outsiders'. Our Constitution enshrines the principle of equality of all citizens before the law. We must comply with this requirement," he said.

Addressing the accountability of public officials, the president emphasized that neither their positions, professional achievements, nor personal connections could exempt them from the law.

"No one, regardless of their position, merits or connections, including family ties, has the right to expect exemptions from the law. This is my firm position," Tokayev said.

He also noted that the authorities had recently reviewed several agreements and contracts that, in his assessment, had been signed erroneously. However, he stressed that this did not mean the introduction of restrictions on business activity.

"At the same time, the authorities do not intend to impose any restrictions on businesspeople. On the contrary, we help and will continue to help and support them in every possible way. You know that I have instructed the authorities to introduce another three-year moratorium on inspections of small businesses starting January 1 next year. This is the essence of the Law and Order legal strategy: supporting all people and businesses that need assistance and acting in accordance with the principle of fairness and in strict compliance with the law," he said.

The president separately addressed concerns over the possible impact of the detentions on the operations of Samruk-Kazyna and other state-owned companies, including Kazakhstan Temir Zholy.

"This serious incident is no reason for disruptions in the operations of the Fund and state-owned companies. Moreover, I am confident that the fight against corruption should, on the contrary, increase the confidence of investors and creditors in this institution, while its operations will become more efficient, transparent and productive," Tokayev said.

Turning to the use of recovered assets, he recalled that the Prosecutor General's Office had secured the return of illegally acquired assets worth more than 1.3 trillion tenge (about $2.93 billion). The funds were allocated to finance the construction of 466 social and infrastructure facilities.

According to Tokayev, construction of 383 facilities has been completed to date, including medical institutions, water supply systems, schools and sports complexes.

He said the work was ongoing but called for an assessment of the quality of the completed facilities, noting that some projects, particularly roads, had not met expectations.

"However, as this high-profile incident has shown, corruption risks remain the Achilles' heel of state-owned companies," he said.

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