The Astana Akimat sold the “Tulpar” equestrian sports complex at auction in 2016 for just 200,000 tenge, and later purchased another complex – “Argymak” – for 7 billion tenge. A discussion is currently underway regarding the transfer of the new facility to a private company under trust management, reported Vladislav Sergeyev, a maslikhat deputy.
According to Bes.media, the decision to purchase the new complex was made by a majority vote, despite objections from some deputies.
“Despite the fact that part of the deputy corps, including myself, was against the buyout, a decision to buy out this complex was made by a majority vote. And we bought it out,” Sergeyev noted.
The issue of transferring “Argymak” to a private company under trust management is currently under consideration.
“Unfortunately, we use this mechanism: facilities built with budget funds from the city or republican budget are handed over to private companies. Then they make money from our children, who either go to the swimming pool or use hippotherapy (therapeutic horse riding),” noted Vladislav Sergeyev.
The deputy called on the Akimat to reconsider the decision, emphasising that the equestrian sports complex was originally acquired for free hippotherapy sessions for children.
The Akimat confirmed that negotiations regarding the transfer of the facility to trust management are indeed underway. According to Vasily Levit, head of the Department of Physical Culture and Sports, a decision has not yet been made.