The government will cut its budget expenditures to provide for the needs of those affected by the floods, QazMonitor reports citing Akorda.
What happened: On April 16, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev spoke with residents evacuated after flooding in the North Kazakhstan region. He emphasized that the government and central and local executive bodies have been instructed to cancel major events to save budget funds.
I canceled a major international forum to conserve funds. We will cut the costs of the [5th] World Nomad Games [in Astana]. It is no longer possible to cancel such an event, but the budget will be significantly reduced. In addition, the budget for participation of our country in the World Expo 2025 will also be reduced.
He noted that the country lacks early warning systems for such disasters and the recent decision on a training program for water engineers was taken ad hoc.
Floods: At the end of March, northwestern Kazakhstan has been hit with the biggest flooding in decades. As of April 16, the disaster is ongoing, with about 113,693 people evacuated from the affected areas in 10 of Kazakhstan's 17 regions. In the Akmola, Aktobe, Atyrau, Kostanay, and North Kazakhstan regions 5,708 private residential buildings, 1,609 courtyard areas, and 2,035 summer houses have been flooded.
So far, the government has allocated lump sum payments of ₸369,000, or $819.89, to all flood victims
After the official assessment, the affected population will be compensated for property damage, and new housing and all necessary infrastructure will be built for residents whose homes have been severely damaged
Additionally, the affected residents will be granted deferments on loans and credits
