Consumers of utility services in the Karaganda Region will be refunded over 3.1 billion tenge. An audit revealed that 18 natural monopoly enterprises did not use part of the funds allocated in the tariffs for their intended purpose. In such cases, the legislation provides a mechanism for returning the money through compensating tariffs.
WHY CONSUMERS ARE GETTING THEIR MONEY BACK
The data on the refund was provided by the Department of the Committee for the Regulation of Natural Monopolies of the Ministry of National Economy of the Republic of Kazakhstan (CRNM MNE RK) for the Karaganda Region, following an analysis of the enterprises' reports for 2024.
Department specialists checked 200 reports from 73 enterprises. These included documents on the execution of tariff estimates and the implementation of investment programmes.
Based on the audit results, it was established that 18 companies did not carry out part of the work and expenditures that had been provided for in the tariffs.
HOW THE COMPENSATING TARIFF MECHANISM WORKS
According to the legislation, if funds from the tariffs were not used for their intended purpose, the regulator introduces a compensating tariff. This mechanism allows for a reduction in the tariff burden and effectively returns the funds previously included in the tariff to consumers.
In this case, the total refund amount will be 3.1 billion tenge. The amount has been calculated taking into account the refinancing rate of the National Bank of Kazakhstan.
The compensating tariffs will be in effect from 1 January 2026 to 1 March 2027.
WHICH UTILITY SERVICES ARE COVERED BY THE REFUND
The funds are distributed by type of utility service as follows:
- water supply and sewerage — 2.27 billion tenge;
- electricity transmission — 669.6 million tenge;
- heat supply — 107.7 million tenge;
- access railway tracks — 3.7 million tenge;
- gas supply — 55.6 million tenge.
TARIFF ESTIMATE CHECKS WILL CONTINUE
The CRNM Department for the Karaganda Region noted that checks on the execution of tariff estimates and investment programmes of natural monopoly enterprises are ongoing.