Oljas Bektenov

Oljas Abaiūly Bektenov (Олжас Абайұлы Бектенов, ; born 13 December 1980) is a Kazakh politician who is currently serving as the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan since February 2024. Prior to his appointment as Prime Minister, Bektenov held various positions including deputy chairman of the Agency for Civil Service Affairs and Anti-Corruption from 2018, and later as the Chairman of the Anti-Corruption Agency from 2022 to 2023, he was appointed as the Head of the Administration of the President.

Early life and education
Born in the city of Alma-Ata, Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic (now Almaty), Bektenov pursued his education, graduating with honors from the Kazakh State Law Academy (now KAZGUU University) in 2001 with a degree in jurisprudence. He furthered his academic career by obtaining a PhD in law, focusing his dissertation on "Organizational and Legal Problems of Prevention of Administrative Delinquency of Minors in the Republic of Kazakhstan".

Early career
Throughout his career, Bektenov has held various positions of responsibility and leadership. He commenced his job as the chief specialist at the Department of Justice of Almaty from 2002 to 2005, before transitioning to become an expert and then the chief expert of the legal department at the Office of the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan from 2005 to 2006.

In subsequent years, Bektenov served in key roles within the Kazakh government, including positions in the Presidential Administration under Nursultan Nazarbayev from 2006 to 2009, as well as deputy chairman of the Committee for Registration Service and Legal Assistance of the Ministry of Justice from 2009 to 2012.

His task in combating Kazakhstan's corruption led him to assume roles such as heading the department at the central office of the Agency for Combating Economic and Corruption Crimes of Kazakhstan (Financial Police) from 2012 to 2014, and later serving as Chief of Staff of the Astana City Akimat from July 2015, and head of the Secretariat of the Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration.

Anti-Corruption Agency
In recognition of his service and leadership, Bektenov was appointed as the deputy chairman of the Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan for Civil Service Affairs and Anti-Corruption on 1 June 2018. He served in this role for a year before being dismissed on 20 June 2019. Shortly thereafter, Bektenov was transferred to the position of first deputy chairman on 26 June 2019.

As a first deputy chairman, Bektenov emphasized the importance for the head of Antikor in addressing the rights of entrepreneurs, to which he highlighted the significance of considering social issues within the region and implementing effective measures to address them and that the results should be beneficial for both citizens and entrepreneurs in the region.

On 25 February 2022, Bektenov assumed the chairmanship of the Anti-Corruption Agency of the Republic of Kazakhstan (Antikor). His appointment followed the January 2022 unrest, during which Antikor, under Bektenov's guidance, probed into the financial dealings of former President Nursultan Nazarbayev's relatives. This led to the arrest of Nazarbayev's nephew, Kairat Satybaldy, for defrauding Kazakhtelecom and a railway services company, and his son-in-law, Kairat Boranbayev, for corruption in the quasi-public sector, resulting in both receiving six-year prison sentences.

Throughout Bektenov's leadership, Antikor pursued high-profile corruption cases, including that of Medet Qumarğaliev, the ex-General Director of Operator ÖKM LLP, accused of embezzling over 20 billion tenge by inflating vehicle recycling costs from 2016 to 2021. Another case focused on Nurlan Masimov, cousin of former chairman of the National Security Committee and ex-PM Karim Masimov, who served as the former head of the Police Department of Pavlodar Region, with allegations of inefficient budget planning and use. Additionally, a case concerning illegal car registrations by an organized criminal group within the state-owned enterprise Government for Citizens was uncovered, resulting in the illegal registration of 486 vehicles and causing approximately one billion tenge in damage to citizens and the state.

In December 2022, Bektenov met with Charles Duchaine, the director of the French Anti-Corruption Agency, in Paris, where they signed a memorandum of cooperation aimed at preventing and combating corruption.

Under Bektenov's leadership, significant changes in departmental leadership occurred due to corruption issues, with over 100 employees facing disciplinary action within Antikor, resulting in nine convictions. Moreover, assets worth more than 650 billion tenge were recovered, which were allocated for building kindergartens and schools in Kazakhstan. External analyses of corruption risks in the quasi-public sector, such as Samruk-Kazyna and Kazakhstan Temir Joly, were conducted, leading to the identification of violations and the initiation of criminal cases. Bektenov also introduced the Corruption Risks Map, highlighting the most corrupt areas in the region for closer attention. Furthermore, the Bizneske Jol project was launched, with the participation of 6,000 entrepreneurs, aimed at supporting businesses. Moreover, Bektenov's tenure saw the adoption of the Law "On Illegal Enrichment," and the exclusion of the possibility of parole for convicts on serious corruption charges.

Tokayev administration
On 3 April 2023, Bektenov became the Chief of Staff of the Presidential Administration of Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. From there, he focused on reducing bureaucracy and enhancing efficiency by restructuring the administration, which included merging parallel departments to eliminate redundancy and introducing assistant positions to focus on key areas like economics and foreign policy. The restructuring also involved eliminating deputy head positions, replacing them with the newly created roles of Assistant to the President. Additionally, Bektenov facilitated the government's ability to independently adopt and adjust socio-economic concepts and regional development plans, reducing the need for constant approval from the executive branch.

Prime Minister of Kazakhstan
After the resignation of the government, the ruling Amanat party backed Bektenov for the role of Prime Minister of Kazakhstan on 6 February 2024. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev nominated Bektenov's candidacy on behalf of the party to which his nomination was subsequently supported by the Mäjilis on the same day, thus officially appointing him to lead the newly-formed government. Following the parliamentary approval, Bektenov in an address to deputies pledged to prioritize national businesses over foreign interests, especially in agriculture, while improving infrastructure and cutting unnecessary costs.

Shortly upon assuming office, Bektenov at the following cabinet meeting proclaimed that his premiership would be a "government of decisive action" to enhance growth rates, diversify the economy, attract investment, and address challenges. He urged ministers to work independently and swiftly address industry issues at their level, stressing that the government's "pace of work will be high, and the demand will be tough."