LocationsParliamentary workshop highlights role of public finances in advancing the SDGs in Kazakhstan
May 13, 2025
A high-level workshop titled “The Role of Public Finances in Achieving the Sustainable Development Goals” was held today in Astana. The event brought together members of the Parliamentary Commission of the Senate for Monitoring the Implementation of National Goals and Targets in the Field of Sustainable Development, as well as representatives from the Ministry of National Economy, Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Health, Maslikhats, and public finance experts from UNDP Sustainable Finance Hub.
Co-hosted by UNDP and the Senate of the Parliament of Kazakhstan and supported by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the workshop underscored the critical importance of aligning public finances — including revenues, expenditures, and financing — with Kazakhstan’s long-term national priorities and the SDGs. It also served as a platform to explore tools such as macro-fiscal forecasting, SDG-aligned planning and budgeting, local-level budgeting for the SDGs, and assessments of the impact of VAT increases on various inequalities — including income, wealth, gender, and regional disparities, as well as the use of green debt instruments.
UNDP Resident Representative in Kazakhstan Ms. Katarzyna Wawiernia reaffirmed UNDP’s commitment to supporting Parliament in strengthening fiscal governance for sustainable development.
“Parliamentary oversight is essential in aligning government revenue, expenditure, and financing with national development priorities, including the SDGs,” she stated. “Such alignment not only promotes accountability and transparency but also minimizes the risks of misallocation or misuse of public resources — ensuring that every tenge serves the people and supports a more sustainable and equitable future for all.”
In her opening remarks, Ms. Olga Perepechina, Deputy Chairperson of the Parliamentary Commission, also emphasized the role of Parliament in ensuring the effective allocation of budgetary resources toward sustainable development outcomes.
"For us, the Senators and members of the Parliamentary Commission, a deep understanding of the mechanisms and opportunities for the effective use of budgetary funds is a key factor in the successful implementation of the 2030 Agenda. Public finance is a powerful tool for addressing the most important challenges in the field of sustainable development," noted Olga Perepechina.
UNDP experts and guest speakers shared global best practices, including case studies from Mongolia, the Philippines, and Indonesia. Discussions focused on strategies to reduce inequalities and combat climate change, optimize health-related tax policies, and scale up SDG financing through innovative instruments such as green bonds.
The workshop took place at a crucial time, following recent amendments to Kazakhstan’s Budget Code that provide new opportunities to incorporate SDG considerations into fiscal planning and parliamentary oversight.
As a key outcome of the workshop, participants identified specific areas where the Parliamentary Commission could strengthen its oversight role — particularly in evaluating the SDG impacts of fiscal policies and monitoring public investments aligned with national development goals.
The event marked another important step in Kazakhstan’s ongoing efforts to institutionalize sustainable development principles across all levels of policymaking and public finance management.
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