He checked the data regarding the implementation of the presidential instruction from 2020 — the plan was to plant two billion trees in forest reserves and 15 million in cities. However, the reality turned out to be quite different.
According to the deputy, in most regions, the number of trees planted is nowhere near the declared figures. For instance, in the Mangistau region, 556 thousand trees were supposed to be planted in 2021, but only about 21 thousand actually appeared. In 2022, the situation did not improve: out of 167 thousand trees, only 21 thousand were planted. Similar violations have been identified in other regions, including East Kazakhstan, Aktobe, Karaganda, and others.
Bazarkbek expressed outrage that no one was held accountable for such a significant shortfall in tree planting and posed a direct question to the Ministry of Ecology: “Who is actually overseeing this funding?”
In response, the deputy chairman of the Forestry Committee, Maksat Elemesov, explained that the situation was due to a lack of funding.
He stated that the akimats did not receive enough resources, which prevented them from fulfilling the plan. As a result, the deadlines for executing the instruction have been postponed from 2024 to 2027, and the regions are now actively working on growing seedlings and restoring forests.