OPEN BUDGET
The Sange Research Center is the national partner for the international Open Budget Survey (OBS) project, implemented by the International Budget Partnership (IBP) organization. The study is conducted every two years and assesses three key aspects: how transparent government budgets in various countries worldwide are, how open they are to public participation, and how accountable they are to parliamentary and audit oversight.
Since 2008, budget experts Janar Jandosova and Fatima Jandosova have been collecting and evaluating data for Kazakhstan. The results of the analysis undergo international peer review and are published on the internationalbudget.org website.
The latest results from the Open Budget Survey 2023 show that Kazakhstan demonstrates a stable level of budget transparency:
- 63 out of 100 points — budget transparency (a level providing sufficient citizen access to information on public finances);
- 11 out of 100 points — public participation (a low level of citizen involvement in the budget process);
- 61 out of 100 points — oversight (sufficient activity from the parliament and the Accounts Committee).
Kazakhstan ranked 32nd among 125 countries, showing results above the global average for transparency but significantly lower for citizen participation.
Kazakhstan's budget lacks historical data on revenues and expenditures, as well as a detailed economic classification of expenditures (e.g., salaries, procurements, transfers). A very low level of public participation in the budget process is noted. Kazakhstan has achieved stable positions in terms of data publication but requires further development of mechanisms for citizen engagement and expansion of analytical detail in budget information.
The Open Budget Survey serves as an important tool for increasing government accountability and informing the public about how budget funds are used. The "Sanazh" Center provides independent national expertise, contributing to the development of open governance and financial transparency in Kazakhstan.
https://internationalbudget.org/open-budget-survey/country-results/2023/kazakhstan#
gallery/open-budget-survey-kazakhstan-2023-en.pdf
DECENTRALIZATION, LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT, AND REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT IN KAZAKHSTAN. 2024, SDU UNIVERSITY.
The research project was implemented with the financial support of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The project's goal is to evaluate reforms of the budget system aimed at fiscal and administrative decentralization of regional and local governance. As part of the project, expert interviews were conducted with akims (mayors/heads) of cities, district centers, and rural districts in Almaty region and Zhetisu.
Other studies:
Openness of Local Budgets, NBSK, Soros-Kazakhstan Foundation, 2013-2014
Budget policy in Kazakhstan: practice, trends, prospects. Kazakhstan Press Club, 2006
