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Social protection

How Kazakhstan Is Using Big Data to Reshape Its Social Protection System

Kazakhstan is accelerating its transition to a digital model of social protection, integrating government databases and introducing algorithmic oversight to improve the targeting of welfare payments and reduce corruption risks. In spring 2026, the merger of databases between the Ministry of Labor and tax authorities was completed, marking a key stage of the reform. Authorities view this process not only as a technological upgrade but as a shift in the principles governing interaction between the state and citizens. Historically, the country’s system of distributing social benefits has faced challenges related to the misuse of funds. In 2020, the Supreme Audit Chamber identified violations in the implementation of the “Enbek” employment program, resulting in significant budget losses. In subsequent years, auditors continued to record similar cases. A report for 2023-2024 noted that targeted social assistance was being received by citizens who concealed their actual incomes. According to anti-corruption authorities, approximately $50 billion has been allocated to social support over the past five years, of which around $6.5 billion was used inefficiently. The lack of transparent oversight enabled abuses, including fictitious employment schemes and payments to so-called “ghost recipients.” A turning point came with the introduction of digital oversight. Since 2024, Kazakhstan has been integrating databases and automating processes. According to official reports, the implementation of digital tools helped prevent financial violations amounting to approximately $45 billion in 2025 alone. At the core of the system is the transition to the international ISO 20022 standard, enabling real-time data processing. Since 2026, algorithms have been automatically assessing citizens’ eligibility for social benefits without the involvement of officials, significantly reducing opportunities for fraudulent claims. One example is a grant program for low-income citizens to start businesses, with grants of up to approximately $3,800. Funds are now transferred directly to suppliers, while transactions are monitored by tax authorities. If inconsistencies are detected, payments are automatically canceled. Similar mechanisms are being applied in subsidized employment programs. The system is also integrated with the “Social Wallet” project and the digital tenge platform. Payments are programmed through smart contracts, restricting their use to predefined purposes such as purchasing food, medicines, or paying utility bills. In addition, algorithms track changes in the income of unemployment benefit recipients. If commercial activity is detected, payments are automatically terminated. Despite these advances, experts warn of potential risks. International experience shows that such systems can both improve efficiency and lead to errors. In Denmark, algorithms are used to provide proactive support, automatically offering benefits when life circumstances change. In Australia, however, a similar system wrongly accused citizens of welfare fraud, triggering lawsuits and a political crisis. Analysts note that the effectiveness of digital systems depends on their design: they perform better when focused on identifying those in need, rather than solely detecting violations.

Gulnara Karimova

Swiss Court Opens Long-Running Case Against Gulnara Karimova

A large-scale corruption case involving Gulnara Karimova, the daughter of Uzbekistan's last president Islam Karimov, is set to go to trial on April 27 at the Federal Criminal Court in Bellinzona, Switzerland, according to a Finews report and official Swiss sources. The proceedings mark a significant step in a case that has spanned nearly two decades. The case centers on allegations by Switzerland’s Office of the Attorney General (OAG), which claims that Karimova built and operated a network referred to as the “Office.” According to prosecutors, the group extorted bribes from international telecommunications companies seeking access to the Uzbek market. The alleged activities date back to the late 2000s. The investigation formally began in 2012, when Swiss authorities opened criminal proceedings against Karimova and a business associate. They face accusations including corruption, participation in a criminal organization, and money laundering. In 2015, the probe expanded to include a former banker at Lombard Odier in Geneva, accused of managing accounts linked to the network between 2008 and 2012. While the bank itself is not charged with direct wrongdoing, the court is examining whether it fulfilled its obligations to prevent financial misconduct. Under Swiss law, this falls under corporate criminal liability. Similar cases have previously led to penalties against institutions such as Credit Suisse and Banque Pictet & Cie. One of the most notable aspects of the case is its length and complexity. Although the alleged offenses date back more than 15 years, proceedings were only consolidated in May 2025, when the court merged separate investigations that had been handled independently for years. The case has also involved unusual procedural steps. In early 2026, Swiss judges traveled to Tashkent to question Karimova, who has been imprisoned there since 2014. According to reports, the questioning took place under strict conditions, with questions relayed through Uzbekistan’s Prosecutor General’s Office rather than asked directly. These limitations have raised concerns among legal experts about whether the testimony meets Swiss evidentiary standards. Further uncertainty surrounds the trial itself. It remains unclear whether the main defendants will appear in court. Karimova is not expected to attend in person due to her imprisonment, and the whereabouts of her co-defendant have not been confirmed. Swiss authorities note that cases of this kind are often resolved through penal orders without a full trial. However, in this instance, the OAG has opted for court proceedings, indicating that key facts remain contested. The trial is expected to examine both the allegations and the conduct of the investigation, though its outcome remains uncertain.

Armed Forces

Turkmenistan’s Army Facing a Growing Exodus of Personnel

Turkmenistan’s Ministry of Defense is attempting to halt mass resignations among officers. Military personnel who have left their units without permission are being offered the opportunity to return to service on the condition that they are transferred to their home region. However, this measure has so far produced little effect and does not address the army’s core problems. Turkmenistan’s Minister of Defense, Begench Gundogdyyev, has sought to revise the government’s approach to the personnel crisis in the armed forces. At a meeting with unit commanders reviewing the results of the first two months of 2026, he addressed the issue of widespread officer resignations. Several commanders reportedly asked him to approve discharge requests for subordinates who had not reported to their units for an extended period. According to a source cited by turkmen.news, the minister reacted sharply and stated that he would not sign any such documents. “Lock them up in the armoury if you must, but don’t let them leave the army,” the source quoted him as saying. A few days after the meeting, some officers reportedly received phone calls from the Ministry of Defense offering them the chance to return to duty. In exchange, they were promised transfers to their home region. Such a practice had not existed previously. Since Soviet times, military personnel were typically assigned to serve in regions other than their own so that, in the event of unrest, they would defend state authority rather than side with local populations. Now, an exception has been made for those seeking discharge after leaving their units without permission, in some cases for more than a year. However, according to sources, almost no one has accepted the offer, and the number of officers wishing to leave the army continues to grow. Officers cite housing as the main problem. Two years ago, a ministerial order abolished the option to privatize service housing, which had previously been available based on length of service. Following this decision, the outflow of personnel reportedly intensified. About a year ago, the Ministry of Defense proposed that officers purchase newly built apartments with their own funds, requiring them to cover 100% of the cost while also prohibiting subsequent resale. Many officers view these conditions as unreasonable. According to them, several years of work abroad, for example in Russia, make it possible to save enough money to buy a home, a car, and secure their children’s future. Military personnel also report insufficient pay, hazing, and corruption affecting not only conscripts but officers as well. As a result, some officers who are unable to formally resign reportedly remain in service until retirement age. Sources claim that morale and discipline in the armed forces have deteriorated to such an extent that any conflict with commanders can prompt an officer to submit a resignation request and stop reporting for duty. The problems facing Turkmenistan’s armed forces come amid broader regional tensions. On February 27, Pakistan’s defense minister, Khawaja Asif, announced what he described as the start of an “open war”...

Healthcare

Tokayev to Personally Oversee Probe Into Medical Insurance Fund Embezzlement

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has pledged to personally oversee the investigation into large-scale embezzlement from Kazakhstan’s Social Medical Insurance Fund (SMIF) and has instructed the government to accelerate the rollout of a unified national healthcare information system. The move follows a series of alarming revelations about systemic fraud in the medical insurance system. In January, Prime Minister Olzhas Bektenov ordered that control of the SMIF be transferred to the Ministry of Finance to bring financial flows under tighter oversight. Subsequent audits uncovered widespread violations, including the registration of fictitious patients, the billing of unnecessary medical services, duplicate financing of procedures, and even the provision of treatments to deceased citizens. The findings have been submitted to law enforcement agencies for investigation. Addressing an expanded government meeting, Tokayev stated that fraudulent activity in the social sector had reached “unprecedented proportions,” and emphasized that the Prosecutor General’s Office and other relevant bodies must investigate all instances of wrongdoing, regardless of the statute of limitations or the individuals involved. “I will personally oversee the investigation process,” the president declared. Tokayev attributed much of the abuse to the absence of a unified digital infrastructure in Kazakhstan’s healthcare system. More than 30 separate and unintegrated information systems are currently in use, creating serious gaps in oversight and traceability. In response, the president has ordered the government to finalize the development of a single, centralized state medical information system by December 1. The new platform is expected to provide full traceability of services and financial transactions, and to digitize all SMIF operations. Tokayev emphasized that digitization is essential for ensuring transparency and the proper use of public funds. As The Times of Central Asia previously reported, earlier this year, the government also announced it would cover health insurance contributions for more than one million unemployed citizens.

Corruption

Uzbekistan Uncovers Large-Scale Corruption, Files Charges Against Senior Interior Officials

Uzbekistan has launched criminal proceedings against senior officials in the Ministry of Internal Affairs as part of a sweeping anti-corruption campaign that has exposed extensive financial violations across the country. At a government meeting on January 27, President Shavkat Mirziyoyev announced that investigations had uncovered 53 trillion Uzbekistani som ($4.38 billion) in financial irregularities and misappropriated funds. Of that, damage linked directly to corruption schemes totaled 4.2 trillion som ($347.3 million), according to a statement from the president’s press secretary. Authorities reported that 1.3 trillion som ($107.5 million) in damages has already been recovered, and 55 individuals have been arrested nationwide in connection with corruption-related activities. Among the highest-profile cases is one involving the Ministry of Internal Affairs. Criminal proceedings have been initiated against Deputy Interior Minister Bekmurod Abdullayev and Rustam Tursunov, head of the ministry’s Penitentiary Department. Investigators allege that 186 billion som ($15.38 million) in budget funds were embezzled through fraudulent state procurement schemes within the ministry. “Every single som of state money will be placed under strict and effective control. Responsibility is inevitable, and punishment will be severe,” Mirziyoyev said during the meeting. In addition to budget-related losses, audits also identified more than $8 billion in debt associated with foreign trade operations. Mirziyoyev described the findings as alarming and announced the introduction of internal compliance and anti-corruption systems across government bodies and state enterprises. He also addressed personnel management within law enforcement. Despite mandatory retirement ages, 55 for colonels and 60 for generals, over 300 officers exceeding these limits are reportedly still in leadership roles. By contrast, all top officials in the Ministry of Emergency Situations are currently under 50 years old. Mirziyoyev underscored the need to promote a new generation of professional and accountable young leaders while also harnessing the expertise of retired or soon-to-retire officers through mentorship and youth engagement programs. The meeting concluded with directives to conduct a critical review of officials responsible for oversight and security in state institutions. The initiative is part of a broader effort to strengthen financial discipline and governance throughout the public sector.

Corruption

In Turkmenistan, Government Offices Charge Citizens for Blank Sheets of Paper

In government offices across Turkmenistan, the provision of routine documents is increasingly accompanied not only by official service fees but also by unofficial, unrecorded charges. While these corrupt schemes are nominally presented as “paper fees,” in practice they have become an expected and often unavoidable part of the process. The practice of bribery is not new to Turkmenistan’s public sector. Citizens seeking almost any type of certificate typically pay not only the state-mandated fee but also an unofficial surcharge, money that is not documented on receipts or in public accounts. A particularly telling example is the issuance of marital status certificates at the Ashgabat Registry Office. Just a few years ago, such a certificate cost the equivalent of $2.90 and could be processed in two days. Today, the official fee has increased to $4.20. But the total cost is often higher due to what staff describe as a payment for the sheet of paper used in the application process. The process typically unfolds as follows: visitors are directed by an employee to one of three service windows. There, they are informed of the official fee and instructed where to make the payment. After paying, they return to the same window, where they are handed a blank sheet of paper and asked to sign it, along with a request for an additional $2.90 to cover the application preparation. Sample application forms are posted on the office walls, and, in theory, visitors could fill out their own forms. However, blank sheets are not made freely available. Those who bring their own paper in advance can complete the process at no extra cost. But most visitors, assuming their official payment covers all necessary services, arrive empty-handed. At that point, they are left with few choices: pay the extra fee, leave the office to find a single sheet of paper, or purchase an entire pack, which can cost up to $26.10, an unreasonable expense for a one-time need. Given the long queues at the registry office, most citizens choose convenience over principle and pay the additional $2.90. Over time, this has turned informal paper charges into a de facto component of the bureaucratic process. The total revenue generated through these payments remains unknown and unaccounted for. But for many visitors, the priority is obtaining their documents without further delay. What was once seen as irregular has become normalized, a silent, systemic practice that continues to operate in plain sight, without raising eyebrows.