In 2024, Kazakhstani civil servants handed over 240 gifts worth a total of 2.3 million tenge to the special fund of the Committee for State Property and Privatisation (KGIP).
According to Tengrinews.kz, the Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Agency, Ulan Sarkulov, reminded that civil servants are required to surrender gifts valued at more than 5 MCPI (19,660 tenge in 2025).
"The KGIP and its territorial bodies have been designated as the authorised body for the accounting, storage, valuation and further use of property turned over (received) into republican ownership on specific grounds, including gifts", the agency reported.
Among the handed-over gifts were: souvenirs, figurines, paintings, stationery, watches, certificates, books, crockery, and food products. The most expensive item was an iPhone 14 Pro worth 575,800 tenge. It is noted that the majority of the gifts (108) were received by the KGIP division in Astana.
It has become known that civil servants, as well as other individuals subject to anti-corruption restrictions, have the right to buy back the handed-over gifts.
"If the person who handed over the gift wishes to buy it back, the territorial bodies of the KGIP enter into a purchase and sale agreement with them. After payment, the gift is transferred via an acceptance certificate. In the event of a refusal to buy back, the gifts are put up for sale through the web portal of the state property register. Gifts that cannot be sold are destroyed", the statement says.
In 2024, the authorised bodies sold 131 gifts handed over to the special fund for 970,900 tenge, and destroyed 56 items. In 2024, only one gift worth 70,400 tenge was bought back.
It is worth recalling that in November 2023, the Anti-Corruption Service for the West Kazakhstan Region fined coach Margarita Buldakova 690,000 tenge for a yoga mat she had given to the former head of the regional sports department, Kaimen Yesendiyarov.
The coach decided to appeal the decision, arguing that there was no corrupt intent in her actions. Furthermore, she noted that the gifts presented had no material value and were intended for charitable purposes.
Later, the court ruled to release Buldakova from administrative liability due to the insignificance of the offence.