"It's impossible to reach a quiet agreement": Audit Chamber head on financial violations
Translated from Russian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.
At a glance
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Context piece
- The Kyrgyz Republic's Audit Chamber has fully implemented reforms, transitioning to international audit standards and improving work quality, according to its chairman, Almazbek Akmatov.
- In 2025, the chamber identified over 21 billion Kyrgyz soms in financial violations across 1,636 state institutions, with 13.4 billion som immediately returned to the treasury.
- Akmatov emphasized that "reaching a quiet agreement" is impossible with the Audit Chamber, highlighting a new level of financial control and transparency.
Almazbek Akmatov, chairman of the Audit Chamber of the Kyrgyz Republic, stated that the institution has fully realized its strategic reforms for 2022-2026, elevating its audit quality to international standards.
We have fully implemented the reforms laid out in the strategic plan for 2022-2026. We have transitioned to international audit standards and raised the quality of work to a new level.
"The main achievement is that we have fully implemented the reforms laid out in the strategic plan for 2022-2026," Akmatov said. "We have transitioned to international audit standards and raised the quality of work to a new level." He explained that the chamber's goal is not merely to penalize but to educate budget institutions on financial transparency and to correct systemic errors promptly. This new approach ensures that those handling public funds understand that "reaching a quiet agreement" with the Audit Chamber is no longer possible.
In 2025, the Audit Chamber examined 1,636 state institutions, uncovering financial violations exceeding 21 billion Kyrgyz soms. Of this amount, 13.4 billion soms were promptly returned to the state treasury. Akmatov highlighted a shift in the audit mechanism, moving from simply identifying errors to rigorously monitoring each violation until the funds are recovered. This strict oversight is designed to enhance economic security.
Our goal is not just to punish, but to educate budget institutions on financial transparency, correcting systemic errors in a timely manner.
The report also noted an increase in state assets by 61 billion soms. Akmatov clarified that this involved incorporating the net assets of certain state enterprises, previously unrecorded, into the official balance sheet. This legal consolidation of the state's real wealth is expected to improve the country's international credit rating, facilitate foreign investment, and protect state property.
Today, those who work with public money know perfectly well: 'reaching a quiet agreement' with the Audit Chamber is impossible.
Furthermore, Akmatov discussed a 93.6 billion som internal financial reserve, identified as sources not fully utilized due to management miscalculations or legal gaps. The Audit Chamber has provided the cabinet of ministers with recommendations for leveraging these reserves, which could fund major hydroelectric and railway projects without external borrowing. Regarding digitalization, Akmatov supports "IT audit" but stressed it should complement, not replace, traditional audits, emphasizing the need for on-site verification of construction quality and material costs.
Digitalization should be a supporting tool, not a replacement for classical audit.
DistantNews Editorial
Originally published by 24.kg in Russian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.
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