ASTANA, February 21, 2011 - Today the Tax Administration Reform Project in Kazakhstan was officially launched. The launch was organized by the Tax Committee jointly with the World Bank. The relevant Loan Agreement was signed in July 12, 2010. In January 24, 2011 the President of Kazakhstan signed a law on ratification of the Loan Agreement (Tax Administration Reform Project) between the Republic of Kazakhstan and the World Bank.
The launch event was attended by high level representatives of the Tax Committee, Ministry of Finance, Association of taxpayers and other stakeholders from public and private sector. Opening the ceremony Ruslan Dalenov, Vice-Minister of Finance noted that “Today we shall continue to improve the tax system and tax administration. Creating a client-friendly environment for citizens and businesses, providing innovative technologies and processes are the objectives of the joint project with the World Bank”.
The Project with a total budget of US$ 57 million is co-financed by the Government of Kazakhstan (in the amount of US$ 40 million) and supports improved effectiveness and efficiency of the tax service through adoption of advanced standards. It is aimed at reforming and strengthening tax administration to increase voluntary compliance of taxpayers, enhance effectiveness of anti-tax evasion measures, and minimize opportunities for corruption. The Project consists of the following components: Institutional; Operational; IT Infrastructure and Project Management.
The Project will be based on World Bank’s considerable experience in revenue administration modernization programs, particularly in the CIS and Eastern Europe, and on the extensive analytical work conducted by the World Bank in Kazakhstan during previous years. It will assist the Government of Kazakhstan and the Ministry of Finance in the implementation of a comprehensive institution-building exercise for the Tax Committee.
Ms. Akkaya, the World Bank Country Manager for Kazakhstan said: “This project is an excellent example of a collaborative endeavor between the Government of Kazakhstan, Kazakhstan’s private sector, and the World Bank to help transform Kazakhstan’s business environment and investment climate. There is growing recognition today that tax administration is a major interface between the state and its citizens. A good tax administration is, therefore, an important attribute of a good government.”
Project implementation and achievement of project objectives will be overseen by a Project Steering Committee which will be chaired by the Vice Minister of Finance, and will include key stakeholders, both from the private sector and related government agencies.
The World Bank’s overall mission in Kazakhstan is to help the Government in achieving diversified and sustainable economic growth and improving the living standards of population. To date, the Bank has provided 37 loans to Kazakhstan with the total amount of over 5.5 billion US dollars.
