Millions of tenge spent on cars: what vehicles are being purchased and rented by government officials?

The year has just begun, yet government agencies are already actively placing orders on the state procurement website. We decided to investigate which vehicles officials are purchasing and leasing with budget funds across various regions of Kazakhstan. The order amounts range from 2 million to 114 million tenge, reports inbusiness.kz.

Most orders in January are related to the purchase or lease of passenger cars. Only a small portion of the lots is directed towards acquiring vehicles for transporting employees or ensuring public order in the region.

Let’s begin our selection with the most expensive lot: the Department of Housing and Communal Services of the Akzhar District in North Kazakhstan allocated 114 million tenge for the purchase of special equipment, including garbage trucks, excavators, snowplows, and loaders. Despite the significant sum, this lot can be seen as a justified expenditure as the funds will be directed towards improving urban infrastructure and cleaning the streets.

The Akim's Office of the Akkaine District (SKO) took a more economical approach to vehicle purchase and is ready to allocate 8.03 million tenge for a crossover. The vehicle must be equipped with a Push Start system, single-zone climate control, and a manual transmission.

The Center for Nuclear Medicine and Oncology of the Abaev Region's health department allocated 16.89 million tenge for the purchase of a vehicle. According to the technical specifications, it should be a crossover with a power of at least 190 hp, featuring leather upholstery, LED headlights, and support for Apple CarPlay. The maximum speed should be no less than 197 km/h, and the price is impressive—this is one of the most expensive vehicle orders in the region.

The Employment and Social Programs Department of Almaty is ready to purchase a minibus for the crisis center "Zhan-Saya" for 27.1 million tenge. According to the technical specifications, the vehicle must accommodate up to 13 people.

The Education Department of Almaty ordered a Class D passenger sedan for 20.34 million tenge for the Almaty College of Passenger Transport. It is unclear who the vehicle is intended for, but it is definitely not for transporting educators.

In Pavlodar, the Akim's Office ordered a vehicle for 15.17 million tenge. It should be a comfortable crossover with a panoramic roof, collision prevention systems, and a 360-degree camera.

The year of manufacture for the vehicle must be no earlier than 2024.

The Labor Mobility Center for the Pavlodar Region of the Employment and Social Programs Coordination Department allocated 20 million tenge for the purchase of a new SUV. According to the technical specifications, the vehicle must be from 2023, completely new, and without mileage.

The Digital Technologies Department of the Aktobe Region allocated 17.67 million tenge for the acquisition of a Class D vehicle with an automatic transmission and all-wheel drive. The supplier must agree with the customer on the make and color of the car before delivery.

The Akim's Office of the rural district Nurken is ready to pay 14 million tenge for a Class C pickup truck. The vehicle will be used for official purposes, including transporting workers, patrolling areas to prevent fires, and protecting natural objects. The vehicle must be new, from 2024.

The Economics and Finance Department of the Abaev District, Karaganda Region, ordered a Class B vehicle for 15 million tenge.

The State Enterprise "Kostanay-Su" of the city of Kostanay, under the Department of Housing and Communal Services, Passenger Transport, and Roads, allocated 23.9 million tenge for the purchase of a Class D vehicle. According to the technical specifications, it should be a mid-sized crossover.

Interestingly, some government agencies prefer to lease vehicles instead of purchasing them. The order amount includes driver services and full maintenance of the vehicle, including replacement in unforeseen circumstances. In some cases, the prices for such services exceed the cost of buying the vehicle.

Let’s start with the most expensive lot. The Department of Sanitary and Epidemiological Control of Almaty allocated 52.32 million tenge for the lease of 12 passenger sedans. All cars must be no older than 2021, with automatic transmissions.

The national company "QazAvtoZhol" allocated 37 million tenge for the lease of four cars (sedans) and one minibus. The business-class vehicles will be used for business trips and daily work commutes. The bus will be necessary for the daily transportation of employees (30-40 people) of the company in Astana. The service period is from October 1, 2025, to December 31, 2025.

The National Center for Accreditation of the Technical Regulation and Metrology Committee of the Ministry of Trade and Integration of the Republic of Kazakhstan is ready to spend 5.85 million tenge on leasing one business-class passenger car with a driver. The service will be provided daily, including weekends, considering possible business trips across Kazakhstan.

The Committee for Medical and Pharmaceutical Control of the Karaganda Region is ready to lease a crossover or SUV with a driver for 4.29 million tenge. The vehicle will be used for official trips within and beyond the region.

Slightly less is ready to be allocated by the Department of Medical and Pharmaceutical Control of the Atyrau Region of the Ministry of Health for the lease of a sedan with a driver. The order amount for carrying out operational tasks within and beyond the region is 3.75 million tenge.

The most economical in this sector turned out to be the Committee for Medical and Pharmaceutical Control of the West Kazakhstan Region. The government agency ordered the lease of a passenger sedan with a driver for 2.68 million tenge. The vehicle will be used for operational trips in Uralsk and beyond.

The National Center for Accreditation of the Technical Regulation and Metrology Committee of the Ministry of Trade and Integration allocated 5.85 million tenge for leasing a business-class passenger vehicle. The transport will be used for official trips, and the cost includes expenses for the driver, fuel, washing, and repairs.

The Department of Land Relations (21.17 million tenge), the Department of Education (19.47 million tenge), and the Department of Sports of the city of Almaty announced lots for the lease of executive-class vehicles. The service implies round-the-clock readiness of vehicles, including for business trips. All cars must be equipped with GPS for location tracking.

The supplier is required to ensure access permits for vehicles to the international airport of Almaty (southern VIP terminal), as well as to the territory of strategic facilities and government institutions. The vehicles can be used for meeting government members and foreign delegations.

The main difference between the lots is the requirements for the year of manufacture of the vehicles and engine capacity.

Thus, almost all vehicles are ordered for the transportation of officials. Whether these expenditures are justified will be revealed over time. Perhaps, by rapidly reaching their workplaces, officials will be able to perform their duties more efficiently.