Corruption In Kazakhstan

Corruption in Kazakhstan The World Bank provides a straightforward definition of corruption – “the abuse of public office for private gain” (World Bank). Corruption exists in every country but on a different scale. In some countries, it affects every sector, in others – it is not as spread. It should not be considered as something, which takes place in backward countries only. Kazakhstan is an interesting country to study in this regard because of its abundance of natural resources, which is a clear indicator of large profits, and shared culture of corruption with the other countries part of the Soviet Bloc. This essay will aim to explore corruption in general and its roots in Kazakhstan. It will be achieved by reviewing data from Transparency

The levels of corruption in the country are relatively high compared to the West, however, not higher in comparison to its neighbours. The culture of corruption in these countries could be an explanation of this phenomenon. Generally speaking, this is how the native people perceive corruption. It might look strange to foreigners, but in most ex-Soviet countries, bribing has become part of the everyday life of the ordinary people. Many would go even further saying that they do not perceive it as something illegal but simply as a medium to get work done quicker, more effectively. Kazakhstan’s main exports are oil, gas and minerals. “They comprise 64.1% of the country’s total trade” (OEC). This makes the oil sector in Kazakhstan extremely attractive for large corruption schemes. Another major source of corruption in Kazakhstan is the existence of private companies owned by a circle of close people to Nazarbayev, including his

A large number of reforms have to be implemented mostly in the socio-economic sector. However, before proceeding to these reforms, there must be strong political will to fight corruption, otherwise all the attempts are doomed to fail. The political elite in Kazakhstan has to be clean from suspicions, which would probably mean that new political class has to emerge, so that the ordinary people can regain their trust in the governmental institutions. It would certainly take time, however, Georgia has proven that it is possible to fight corruption effectively and Kazakhstan could be the next successful example in the