At the beginning of the year, two curious government procurements appeared in the Akmola Region totalling 41 million tenge. Both relate to work with "adherents of destructive religious movements", and both have such specific requirements that one gets the feeling: the technical specifications were written for specific contractors. The editorial board of the FBRK decided to look into how the state spends money on the "spiritual re-education" of citizens and why this may cause controversy.
The first procurement was organised by the Department of Internal Policy of the city of Kosshy for the sum of 21 million tenge. The contract is for three years, and the requirements for the supplier are impressively detailed. At least seven specialists are needed: a theologian-Islamologist, a member of the Republican Information and Explanatory Group, a historian, an author of a book on extremism, an author of a guide on family values, and two more experts with relevant credentials. Each must confirm their qualifications with documents at the application stage.
But that's not all. The supplier must have an office in the Akmola Region or Astana with office equipment, conduct 120 events per year and — attention — achieve specific results: "at least 3 people who have changed their views, and at least 5 people adapted to Kazakhstani values" annually. For each "convert", a written justification from a specialist is required.
Finding seven experts with proven authorship of manuals is no easy task. Unsurprisingly, of the seven applicants who submitted bids, only two met the requirements, and the winner was the ALDASPAN Analytical Centre. The company is young — it has only been in the market for a year and a half, and is headed by Dinmukhammed Toigyly.
The second procurement in Kokshetau is even more interesting. For 20 million tenge, the Department of Internal Policy commissioned work with male and female jamaats. The goals are stated with extreme specificity: to adapt 35 people and convert 15 to "traditional Islam". The contractor must conduct 190 individual meetings, reach 125 people, and organise group events for 500 participants. And all this in less than a year.
For reference: In the social and ethnocultural context, "jamaat" is a community association of people, often based on kinship, territorial affiliation or religious identity. In a religious context, it can denote a religious community or group of believers following a particular Islamic branch or teaching.
The technical details are particularly curious. The terms of reference stipulate that each speaker must have "a file, 0.5 litres of still water and a glass" — a level of detail more suited to an artist's rider than a government procurement. Furthermore, the contractor must, within two days, sign a memorandum with one of the largest mosques in Kazakhstan, "Nauan Khazret", and with the Department for Countering Extremism.
The requirement for mandatory cooperation with a specific mosque is particularly controversial. This not only limits the pool of potential participants, but also presupposes pre-existing connections, which is practically impossible for new suppliers and, at the very least, may contradict the principles of fair competition in government procurement. The result is predictable: only one supplier participated — Sole Proprietor ADINA under the leadership of Aruzhan Medeshova.
From a procedural standpoint, both procurements look like classic examples of being "tailored" for specific contractors. Overly specific requirements, rigid geographic restrictions, the need for pre-established connections with specific organisations — all of this reduces competition to a minimum.
It is impossible to measure a real "change of views", just as it is impossible to verify the quality of "adaptation to Kazakhstani values". However, one can assume that the money went to predetermined recipients through procedures that only formally comply with the requirements of the law on public procurement.
Perhaps it would be worth directing these funds towards more transparent and measurable programmes — educational projects, social adaptation, or the prevention of extremism through work with young people. At least then the result could be objectively assessed, rather than relying on "written justifications" about someone's inner convictions.