Almaty, 28 November 1996 (RFE/RL) - Kazakhstan authorities say citizens and companies continue to avoid paying taxes, and corrupt state officials continue to steal money from the budget.
According to state data, the amount of unpaid taxes and fees for the first ten months of this year has shown a 50 percent increase over the same period of 1995.
Almaty also says more than 700 state employees have been fired because of involvement in corruption. Nearly 5,000 of them been fined for abusing their authority in order to earn money illegally. A top financial control official yesterday said that millions of dollars have been wasted in agricultural sector alone during ten months of this year. An estimated 567,6 millions Tenge had been used in vain for suspicious programs.
Russian Officials To Discuss Travel, Money Limits, Banks
Kazakh and Russian officials next month are scheduled to hold another round of talks on travel policy. Russians traveling abroad may carry only $500. Travelers from Kazakhstan may carry $10,000 and, as a result, many Russians have been booking travel from Kazakhstan. Moscow is trying to persuade Almaty to change its law. The Kazakh and Russian officials are also expected to discuss the closing of several banks in each country that has affected Kazakh and Russian citizens.