In NKO, an attempt was made to dishonestly pay approximately 76 million tenge for ineffective school Internet services
In the North Kazakhstan region, education officials in Aytrau, Akjar, Yesil, Mamlyut, Taiynsha, Ualikhanov, G. Musrepov, and Shal akyn districts have faced accountability for misuse of public funds allocated for school internet connections.
The misappropriation of funds, which may have involved overpayments, phantom services, or contracts not in the best interest of the schools, has been identified by regional or national audit bodies. This is part of a broader crackdown on corruption and unjustified expenditures in government institutions, as evidenced by Kazakhstan's registration of numerous criminal corruption offenses involving misuse of public funds in 2024, with over 8 million tenge being returned to the budget.
Disciplinary measures have been taken against the responsible officials, who were found to have violated the Budget Code and the Rules for State Procurement. The officials signed contracts worth over 360 million tenge for school internet connections. As a result of the investigations, the North Kazakhstan region was able to prevent over 75 million tenge of unjustified budget spending.
However, no specific details about the nature of the violations, investigative findings, or legal outcomes were found in the provided search data. Similarly, no information was given about the measures taken to reduce the cost of services, the impact of the reduced cost on the quality of the school internet connections, or the nature of the disciplinary measures taken.
In the Akjar district, teachers at Gorky Middle School had to pay for a router themselves due to the low internet speed provided. The cost of services was reduced, preventing an additional 75.8 million tenge of unjustified budget spending.
These developments underscore the ongoing efforts by Kazakhstan's government to address corruption and unjustified expenditures, particularly in the education sector. As the region continues to focus on improving internet connectivity in schools, it is crucial that these funds are used efficiently and effectively to benefit students and teachers alike.
- The misconduct of the education officials in the North Kazakhstan region, who were responsible for the school internet connections, extended beyond the education sector, raising questions about the efficiency and accountability in the finance, business, and industry sectors.
- With a focus on enhancing education-and-self-development, the North Kazakhstan region needs to ensure that school funds allocated for internet connections are utilized responsibly, avoiding unjustified budget spending from phantom services or contracts not in the best interest of the schools.
