Kazakhstan launches audit of USAID activities amid transparency concerns

Kazakh Ministry of Foreign Affairs has established a working group comprising representatives from various government agencies to audit and assess the activities of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in the country.

The group will review the projects and programs funded by USAID to ensure that their actual outcomes align with their declared objectives, Caliber.Az reports citing Kazakh media.

The authorities will also investigate potential misuse of funds, cover-up schemes, discrepancies in financial management, and any conflicts of interest related to USAID's operations in Kazakhstan. In addition, the working group will examine USAID's connections with both governmental and non-governmental organizations, aiming to assess how these ties might influence the agency’s goals and effectiveness.

This initiative comes in response to a request from five members of Kazakhstan's parliament, who called on the government to verify and publicly disclose all reports concerning foreign sponsorships and allocated funds. The MPs expressed concerns over transparency and accountability regarding the financial flows associated with international aid.

In 2024, USAID implemented 28 programs in various sectors across Kazakhstan, with total funding of $26.5 million allocated for 2023-2024. Some of these projects extend beyond Kazakhstan, encompassing the broader Central Asia region. Among the notable collaborations, Kazakhstan’s State Revenue Committee received 12 units of server equipment, valued at 385,8 million tenge (approximately $773,5 million), as part of a program aimed at modernizing the country’s customs infrastructure.

The audit will be closely watched, as it could have broader implications for Kazakhstan’s future engagement with international development agencies and its approach to foreign-funded initiatives.

Note that, the Trump administration has taken an axe to US foreign aid, eliminating 83 per cent of programs run by the USAID in a sweeping six-week purge that has done away with entire categories of development work that took decades to build up.

Secretary of state Marco Rubio announced the massive cuts on March 10, posting that roughly 5,200 of USAID’s 6,200 global programs have been terminated. The surviving initiatives – less than a fifth of America’s previous aid portfolio – will be absorbed by the state department.

By Vafa Guliyeva