First Deputy Akim of the Abai Region Shalkar Baibekov reported on the results of a state audit of the use of regional budget funds and asset management, which covered the period from 1 January 2022 to 30 April 2024.
According to Baibekov, the audit revealed financial violations totalling 1.1 billion tenge, with the amount of inefficient planning and use of funds amounting to 143.3 million tenge.
It was reported that the audit commission inspected the activities of the departments of finance, economy and budget planning, agriculture, employment coordination and social programmes, and other sectors.
It was noted that the main financial violations occurred in the accounting of budget loans issued by relevant departments of the East Kazakhstan Region in 2015-2018 for heat and water supply. Before the creation of the Abai Region, assets worth 711 million tenge were not accepted onto the balance sheet of the East Kazakhstan Region akimat.
Six entities in the quasi-public sector committed violations totalling 224 million tenge, failing to fulfil obligations for the repayment of principal debt and remuneration.
The audit also revealed misuse of microcredit loans amounting to 69 million tenge.
The amount of unjustified transfer of debts under the 'Improvement of Irrigation and Drainage Systems' project amounted to 146.9 million tenge.
Furthermore, unjustified acceptance of obligations was allowed under the project, because when the budget was divided during the transfer of debt from the East Kazakhstan Region to the Abai Region, there was a lack of detail regarding the amounts owed by individual end borrowers.
It was reported that at the time of the inspection, the total debt of the Abai Region for 2022-2023 stood at 69.7 billion tenge and $457,700, of which 16.1 billion tenge and $50,900 have already been repaid.
Baibekov confirmed that, based on the results of the state audit, officials have been brought to administrative responsibility. The akimat representative also emphasised that the audit did not reveal any embezzlement, shortages of budget funds, or avoidance of accounting.