Mazhilis deputy Bakytzhan Bazarbek proposed a large-scale audit of the Bolashak program and a review of the expenditure of billions of tenge, reports Todayinfo news agency.
According to him, the audit revealed that 801 candidates who did not meet the requirements were allowed to participate in the competition. Of these, 340 are studying abroad on scholarships worth 7.6 billion tenge. For 15 candidates, there is no decision from the republican commission, but they continue their studies. 151 scholarships worth 2.5 billion tenge were awarded outside the plan. And 71 candidates acted as guarantors for each other, causing damage of 876 million tenge.
"Who are we training? Every three to four years, a Bolashak graduate becomes a minister or akim, and then gets involved in corruption. The system itself raises questions," the deputy said.
Bazarbek estimated the total damage at 10 billion tenge and demanded an investigation with the participation of the Prosecutor General's Office and law enforcement agencies, as well as the return of the money. He also asked the ministry to publish the names of those studying abroad for free. In addition, the deputy proposed abandoning the requirement for mandatory publication in international databases such as Scopus and Web of Science.
