ORGANISATION FOR ECONOMIC CO-OPERATION AND DEVELOPMENT ANTI-CORRUPTION NETWORK FOR EASTERN EUROPE AND CENTRAL ASIA Anti-Corruption Reforms in Kazakhstan Round 3 Monitoring of the Istanbul Anti-Corruption Action Plan The report was adopted at the Istanbul Anti-Corruption Action Plan plenary meeting on 10 October 2014 at the OECD Headquarters in Paris. This report is published on the responsibility of the Secretary-General of the OECD. The opinions expressed and arguments employed herein do not necessarily reflect the official views of the Organisation or of the governments of its member countries. This document and any map included herein are without prejudice to the status of or sovereignty over any territory, to the delimitation of international frontiers and boundaries and to the name of any territory, city or area. © OECD 2014 2 About the OECD The OECD is a forum in which governments compare and exchange policy experiences, identify good practices in light of emerging challenges, and promote decisions and recommendations to produce better policies for better lives. The OECD’s mission is to promote policies that improve economic and social well-being of people around the world. Find out more at www.oecd.org. About the Anti-Corruption Network for Eastern Europe and Central Asia Established in 1998, the main objective of the Anti-Corruption Network for Eastern Europe and Central Asia (ACN) is to support its member countries in their efforts to prevent and fight corruption. It provides a regional forum for the promotion of anti-corruption activities, the exchange of information, elaboration of best practices and donor coordination via regional meetings and seminars, peer-learning programmes, and thematic projects. ACN also serves as the home for the Istanbul Anti-Corruption Action Plan. Find out more at www.oecd.org/corruption/acn/. About the Istanbul Anti-Corruption Action Plan The Istanbul Anti-Corruption Action Plan is a sub-regional peer-review programme launched in 2003 in the framework of the ACN. It supports anti-corruption reforms in Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, the Kyrgyz Republic, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Ukraine and Uzbekistan through country reviews and continuous monitoring of participating countries’ implementation of recommendations to assist in the implementation of the UN Convention against Corruption (UNCAC) and other international standards and best practice. Find out more at www.oecd.org/corruption/acn/istanbulactionplan/. 3 Table of Contents Executive Summary .................................................................................................................. 5 Anti-Corruption Policy .............................................................................................................................................................. 5 Criminalization of Corruption ................................................................................................................................................ 5 Prevention of Corruption ......................................................................................................................................................... 5 Third round of monitoring ........................................................................................................ 7 Country background information.............................................................................................. 9 Economic and social situation................................................................................................................................................ 9 Political structure ........................................................................................................................................................................ 9 Trends in corruption ................................................................................................................................................................ 10 Acronyms ............................................................................................................................... 13 I. Anti-corruption policy ......................................................................................................... 14 1.1.-1.2. Political will and anti-corruption policy ......................................................................................................... 14 1.3. Corruption surveys .......................................................................................................................................................... 21 1.4. Public participation .......................................................................................................................................................... 24 1.5. Raising awareness and public education ................................................................................................................ 27 1.6. Specialised anti-corruption policy and co-ordination institutions .............................................................. 28 II. Criminalization of corruption .............................................................................................. 32 2.1-2.2 Offences and elements of offence ........................................................................................................................ 32 2.3. Definition of a public official ........................................................................................................................................ 49 2.4.-2.5. Sanctions, confiscation .......................................................................................................................................... 53 2.6. Immunities and statute of limitations ...................................................................................................................... 58 2.7. International co-operation and mutual legal assistance .................................................................................. 60 2.8.-2.9. Application, interpretation and procedure, specialized anti-corruption law enforcement bodies ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 62 III. Prevention of corruption ................................................................................................... 66 3.2. Integrity of public service .............................................................................................................................................. 66 3.3. Promoting transparency and reducing discretion in public administration ........................................... 79 3.4. Public financial control and audit .............................................................................................................................. 87 3.5. Public procurement ......................................................................................................................................................... 94 3.6. Access to information ................................................................................................................................................... 100 3.7. Political corruption ....................................................................................................................................................... 110 3.8. Judiciary ............................................................................................................................................................................. 115 3.9. Private sector ................................................................................................................................................................... 127 Summary table ..................................................................................................................... 131 Annex .................................................................................................................................. 132 Statistics ..................................................................................................................................................................................... 132 4 Executive Summary This report offers an analysis of the progress achieved by the Republic of Kazakhstan in carrying out anti-corruption reforms and in implementing the recommendations adopted during the Second round of monitoring under the Istanbul Anti-Corruption Action Plan in September 2011. The report also contains new recommendations in two areas: anti-corruption policy and criminal liability for corruption. Anti-Corruption Policy Fighting corruption remains an important public policy priority in Kazakhstan, as reflected in the statements of its highest officials. The principal anti-corruption policy document – the Sectoral Programme for the Fight Against Corruption – has not been significantly amended since the previous monitoring round. Public authorities carried out a regular monitoring of the Programme’s implementation, but it was insufficient to assess Programme’s impact on the corruption level. The monitoring report welcomes development of a new anti-corruption strategy, which, however, should be based on a thorough analysis of the corruption situation and its trends. Public authorities, civil society and business sector representatives should be involved in the process of the strategy development. The