SHYMKENT, Kazakhstan -- Turn out the lights, the party's over.
But for officials in the southern Kazakh city of Shymkent, the trouble may have just begun.
Some residents are demanding an investigation after the local government said it spent around $1.3 million on Norouz celebrations this month.
The statement on the public procurement agency's website sparked angry public criticism from people who want to know where the money went. They say the mostly online events were far more modest than previous years and didn't look like a million-dollar party.
The average monthly salary in Kazakhstan is a little over $500, according to CEIC Data, an economics website.
After the burst of public criticism, Shymkent city authorities belatedly said that the amounts represented all the funds set aside by the city for all of the year's celebrations. But an itemized list of the spending suggested otherwise, and the damage to public trust appears to have been done.
Shymkent's celebrations to mark the Persian New Year included music and poetry competitions, an event to mark the anniversary of a local magazine, and advertisements of local cultural sites, among other things.
Copyright (c) 2010-2020. RFE/RL, Inc. Reprinted with the permission of Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty, 1201 Connecticut Ave., N.W. Washington DC 20036.
ecoi.net description:
Shymkent city: Residents demand corruption investigation into local government spending on Norouz celebrations