A foresight session on “Current Issues of Corruption Risks in Public Procurement” was held

At the Kh. Dosmukhamedov Atyrau University, a foresight session was held on the topic “Current Issues of Corruption Risks in Public Procurement”.
The foresight session was attended by directors of regional branches of the “Zhanaru” National Anti-Corruption Movement (online), members of the advisory board of the “Zhanaru” National Anti-Corruption Movement in Atyrau Region, representatives of the quasi-public sector, and representatives of higher educational institutions.
“Preventing corruption in society is an urgent issue on the agenda. The aim of the foresight session is to prevent corruption in the field of public procurement, fight against it, create a common vision of corruption risks in this area for the future, and establish ways to develop civil society, as well as to promote preventive measures against corruption in public procurement. We hope that the discussions based on the cases presented in the reports will be fruitful,” said the moderator of the session, the Chairman of the “Zhanaru” branch in Atyrau region, Salamat Idrissov.
The Deputy Chairman of the “Zhanaru” National Anti-Corruption Movement, Beibit Mamrayev, and the head of the Atyrau Regional Department of the Anti-Corruption Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Yerulan Serikkaliyev, delivered congratulatory speeches and emphasized the importance of the event, while five speakers discussed current issues related to the topic.
The new law “on public procurement” came into force on January 1, 2025. The law aims to optimize procurement procedures, improve the quality of purchased goods, works, and services, increase the accountability of participants in public procurement, and foster competition. The prosecutor’s office will monitor the implementation of public procurement. As a result, several measures have been taken within the framework of the law, including the identification of 17 billion tenge in public procurement that was found to be used illegally, thus preventing inefficient use of budget funds, as reported by Senior Assistant Prosecutor of Atyrau Region, Said Azhmukhamedov.
“One of the key innovations of the new public procurement law, effective from January 1, 2025, is the simplification and shortening of the procurement process. In particular, procurement procedures have been simplified, the composition of commissions and the procedure for filing complaints have been determined, and the obligation to use single-source procurement, except in exceptional cases, has been removed. Procurement will now be conducted based on formal-logical control,” said Azamat Salimbayev, the Head of the Department of Public Procurement and Municipal Property of Atyrau Region.
In his report on “Anti-Corruption Compliance in the Public Procurement System: The Need for Implementation and Training Practices,” Yerkebulan Gabdygaparov, the director of the Academy of Public Administration under the President of Kazakhstan’s Atyrau branch, noted that adhering to public procurement laws and conducting training on anti-corruption policies play a crucial role in forming zero tolerance for corruption. In 2024, 65 civil servants participated in training seminars on “Public Procurement: Practical Application,” and in January 2025, another 62 people enhanced their competencies in public procurement law.
The session also discussed corruption schemes in public procurement. “At all stages of public procurement, there are corruption risks. During the planning phase of procurement, many corruption schemes occur. One of the most common schemes is adding unnecessary goods or services to the plan. For example, in 2023, officials of the Ministry of Justice, abusing their powers, entered into annual contracts for unnecessary services, supporting the interests of an affiliated company, which resulted in a loss of 1.8 million dollars to the state,” said Aidana Almaniyazova, Chief Specialist of the Prevention Department of the Anti-Corruption Agency’s Atyrau Regional Department.
At the meetings of the Public Council, the results of the activities of government agencies, local self-government bodies, and their officials are discussed publicly. In this regard, the Public Council of Atyrau region, which was established by the decision of the Atyrau regional maslikhat on March 29, 2022, with 28 members, fully performs the function of public discussion. Of the 28 members, 23 are elected from civil society, and 5 are public servants. Nine public councils in the region are performing their duties,” said Serik Kadyrov, a member of the Anti-Corruption Public Control and Law Enforcement Commission of the Atyrau region’s Public Council.
In his concluding speech, Beibit Mamrayev, Deputy Chairman of the “Zhanaru” National Anti-Corruption Movement, noted: "The government should not be afraid of society, and society should trust the government. In this matter, citizens should work systematically at their level and strengthen public control. The initiative of the rector of Atyrau University Salamat  Idrissov to create a Center for the Study of Corruption Problems at the university was subsequently continued at Ilyas Zhansugirov Zhetysu University. Another important point is to increase the level of anti-corruption education in higher education institutions. If these two issues are resolved, then in 4-5 years we will receive systemic results," he noted, emphasizing the significance of the initiative of Atyrau University.
At the end of the session, key recommendations were made aimed at developing legal literacy among student youth, actively participating in discussions on anti-corruption legislation, improving the procurement system, reducing corruption risks, achieving legal, social, and economic aspects, supporting initiatives aimed at revitalizing civil society in the fight against corruption, and ensuring integrity checks.