(24 February 2026 | Source: Hronika.kz)
Residents of Aktobe complain annually about the quality of snow removal, and the current season has been no exception. Even the Akim of the Aktobe Region was dissatisfied with the contractors' work. Against this backdrop, circumstances have been revealed in tenders organised by the city authorities that raise questions about the procedures for admitting participants.
WHO CONDUCTS THE PROCUREMENT
State procurement for snow removal is carried out by the State Institution "Department of State Procurement of the City of Aktobe" of the Akimat of the City of Aktobe. Specifically, this concerns the tender for "Snow clearance (removal) work in the Astana district of Aktobe, plot No. 2," reports Hronika.kz.
According to the tender conditions, participants are obliged to provide information about their material and labour resources. The customer must also conduct site visits to inspect the contractor's equipment. The contract stipulates that if even one piece of declared equipment is missing, the contract is subject to termination.
SAME EQUIPMENT IN DOCUMENTATION OF DIFFERENT COMPANIES
The documentation of Batys PLC LLP and Enbek-2050 LLP lists SHACMAN dump trucks leased from Assana-Dorstroy LLP.
According to the data provided, Assana-Dorstroy LLP had previously leased these same dump trucks to Caspian Bitum LLP. The documents do not clarify how the same equipment could be used simultaneously by different companies in fulfilling their obligations. No response on this matter has been provided by the Akimat.
Given the requirement for a physical inspection of the equipment, it remains unclear whether the presence of the declared vehicles was verified at the time of admission to the tender.
DRIVERS EMPLOYED BY ANOTHER COMPANY
Additional questions have arisen regarding the labour resources of the participants. The tender documentation of Batys PLC LLP and Enbek-2050 LLP listed drivers who, according to the information provided, have been officially employed by Zapkazpromstroy LLP since December 2025.
Thus, these employees were not in an employment relationship with the companies that submitted bids for the tender. The materials do not clarify how these circumstances influenced the commission's decision when admitting them to the procurement.
INVALID DIPLOMAS AND TWO PROTOCOLS
During the review of documents from Enbek-2050 LLP, diplomas for tractor drivers were also found to be invalid. These facts were confirmed after a complaint was filed.
Following the investigation, the company was disqualified from one of the tenders, as recorded in the relevant protocol. However, 4 seconds later, another protocol with the same composition of the commission appeared on the state procurement portal. In this protocol, the same company was admitted to participate in another tender for snow removal.
The materials do not explain why the commission's decisions differed under similar circumstances.
DISCOUNTS AFTER WINNING THE TENDER
Another feature of the 'snow' tenders concerns pricing proposals. The winner is determined by the lowest price. Some suppliers offer a discount of 10–20% off the initial cost of services, which formally reduces budget expenditure.
However, according to the data provided, after the contract is signed with the winner, additional agreements are signed to compensate for the discount amount.