The poverty gap between the regions of Kazakhstan has increased by 6 times, said Natalya Godunova, the chairman of the counting committee of Kazakhstan for monitoring the implementation of the republican budget.

"Despite the growth in the volume of transfers to local budgets as a whole, the gap between the regions has doubled in the budget provision, the average monthly income per capita has quadrupled and the level of poverty by 6 times," N. Godunova said at the presentation of the republican budget for 2017 on Wednesday.

She explained the reasons for the great difference in these indicators.

"Firstly, the function of the budget to equalize the living conditions of the population in different regions is not being realized. Secondly, the high centralization of tax revenues and the dependence of regions on financing from the center causes the lack of motivation of local executive bodies to increase their tax potential'' she stressed.

She also mentioned that the share of resources allocated to the regions from the republican budget was 54% in their budgets.

“The Qazaq Times”