Tokayev believes that corruption is guilty in gap between Kazakhstan and Chinese statistics

Published February 2, 2022 22:00

There is a big difference between the statistical data of Kazakhstan and China over their mutual trade. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev believes that the difference may reach billions of dollars even though no one can explain how this could have happened. The president addressed the issue at a meeting devoted to the fight against corruption.

While speaking about corruption in tax and customs agencies Tokayev noted that the difference between Chinese and Kazakhstan’s statistics reached $5.7 billion in 2021. The main reason for that is contraband.

«About 90% of those who are engaged in foreign trade have to deal with corruption. More than 45% of entrepreneurs were forced to pass money under the table to customs officials. The Anti-Corruption Agency has already revealed three corrupted customs posts in the West Kazakhstan region. But we have 49 customs posts all over the country. It means that bribery in the customs and transport spheres prevent us from using our potential in transit at full capacity,» he said.

In November 2021 Tokayev expressed a desire to restore the trade volume with China. Despite the difficulties of the pandemic the bilateral goods turnover rose 5% and reached $15 billion in 2020. «We hope that all temporary limitations imposed due to the pandemic on the Kazakh-Chinese border will be removed soon and our bilateral trade flows will be restored,» Tokayev stated back then.