E-government as an anti-corruption strategy in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan has made progress in economic and social development, but it struggles with systemic corruption. Its leadership has acknowledged the depth of the problem. An ambitious e-government program is underway that is designed to simplify processes, reduce documentation, eliminate queues, and limit interactions between citizens and officials that create opportunities for bribery. Although the initiative is still too new to gauge its full impact, we examine online forums, news coverage, and third-party reports to offer a preliminary judgment. Indications are that e-government is reducing petty corruption, but it needs to be part of a larger package of anticorruption measures.