“No alternative“ – Jumangarin on utility tariff hikes

Tengrinews.kz – How much longer can utility tariffs be raised in Kazakhstan? This question was posed to Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy Serik Jumangarin.

According to the vice prime minister, "tariffs don’t just increase without reason".

"For example, if you live in Astana, before raising tariffs, any natural monopoly entity holds public hearings. You can come, ask a million questions – down to every nut and bolt – about how your money is spent. Because raising tariffs primarily means taking additional money from your wallets," Jumangarin said on the sidelines of a seminar on the new Tax Code.

He called the process "quite transparent" and stated that if tariffs were not raised, Kazakhstanis would no longer be able to receive the same services in the future.

"Okay, Astana is a city with everything new, at least on the left bank. But there are cities where infrastructure is very worn out: 70-90 percent. In mono-cities, the level of wear can reach up to 100 percent. If a pipe bursts in winter or, like the problematic district heating system in Ekibastuz... Such issues will repeat more and more. And eventually, we will end up without the necessary conditions. Frozen radiators in winter – who needs that? There is no alternative," he added.

Earlier, the vice prime minister was asked why utility companies return the "excess" money to Kazakhstanis not in cash but in gigacalories.

In mid-September, residents of Astana began receiving large utility bills for August, including 9,000 tenge for heating. "Astana-Tepotransit" explained that these amounts were not for heating but for water heating.

The company clarified that the thermal energy supplied to residents includes both heating and hot water supply and is billed according to a unified tariff approved by the relevant authorities.