The Office of the Akim of Almaty allocated 247 million tenge from the budget for car rental in 2024. More than 144 million has already been paid to the supplier. It has been reported that the city administration enters into such contracts twice a year.
According to Factcheck.kz, the first contract was in effect from January to the end of February, with the amount paid including VAT being 41.2 million. The Akimat rented 14 cars, including 8 executive-class cars manufactured no earlier than 2019, 4 upper-middle-class cars manufactured no later than 2018, and 2 minibuses with 18 seats manufactured no earlier than 2017.
Additionally, according to the technical specification, the work required 14 drivers, one dispatcher, one medical worker, and two engineering and technical workers.
The Akimat entered into another contract this year in April. Its cost including VAT was 205.8 million tenge, but the customer has so far paid only 102.9 million tenge. This time, the local administration rented three top-class cars manufactured no earlier than 2022, 2019, and 2013, one executive-class car manufactured no earlier than 2019, one mid-class car manufactured no earlier than 2010, and two minibuses manufactured no earlier than 2017 and 2009. Otherwise, the requirements remained unchanged.
It is also reported that last year the total amount spent on car rental by the Almaty Akimat was 182.4 million tenge. It has also become known that in 2022 the Akimat's office spent 146.9 million tenge on cars, in 2021 this amount was 182.8 million tenge, and in 2020 it was 208.5 million tenge.
Furthermore, it is reported that most of the contracts were concluded directly, without a tender process. The customer announced an open tender, but ultimately the contracts were still awarded from a single source due to failed public procurement procedures.
Journalists have established that the Akimat's vehicle fleet consists of 160 cars, including Toyota Land Cruiser, Toyota Hiace, Toyota Coaster, Kia K900, Skoda Superb, Kia Cadenza, Kia Quoris, Mercedes-Benz Sprinter, Mercedes-Benz S400, Mercedes-Benz S500, and a Mercedes-Maybach S680.