A Pravda columnist on the situation in Kazakhstan: Paradise for the elite, hell for the majority

As Kazakhstan approaches 2026, it has taken another step toward deepening inequality and injustice. The standard of living for the majority of the population is declining, while the oligarchs’ coffers are bursting with increasing wealth. The authorities are diligently satiating the appetites of the nouveau riche by selling off state property. Four years ago, following mass protests in January 2022, the country’s leadership, led by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, promised to build a “fair Kazakhstan.” Big business, officials assured, would lose its privileges as a closed caste and would be forced to share its profits with ordinary citizens. One can imagine how the rich smirked at these promises of a false “paradise on earth.” They knew full well that even the most pompous speeches were worthless, since they came from the mouths of the representatives of capital, who did nothing without the sanction of their masters. In short, instead of justice, workers saw increasing exploitation, poverty, and inequality. Confident that they had lulled the people with beautiful slogans, the ruling class went on a rampage. This is evident in the socioeconomic indicators with which the republic entered the new year. The official poverty rate for the third quarter of 2025 (more recent data has not yet been released) was 5.3 percent. In the second quarter, by comparison, 5.1 percent of residents had incomes below the subsistence level, and in the first quarter, 4.5 percent. It is highly significant that the Mangistau Region, one of the main oil production centers, is among the regions with the highest poverty rates. The number of citizens whose incomes fall short of the basic consumer basket is growing. While statistics showed 45,000 people in this category a year ago, their number has now risen to 58,000. The true scale of the social disaster is, of course, far greater. To conceal this fact, officials resort to manipulating the figures. For example, in November, the subsistence minimum unexpectedly fell from 62,700 to 56,700 tenge (from 9,400 to 8,500 rubles). Officials explained this by excluding certain “seasonal products,” such as watermelons and grapes. One would think the poor spent so much money on fruits and berries! A far more likely theory is that the authorities needed to, at least on paper, curb the accelerating decline in living standards...

Crosspost from https://lemmygrad.ml/post/10533133