National Bank mandates digital tenge for state procurement
This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.
National Bank Chairman Timur Suleimenov announced mandatory use of the digital tenge for certain state expenditures, including procurement of medical and transport vehicles, fuel, and road construction. The move aims to enhance transparency and curb misuse of budget funds, with the digital tenge also to be applied in energy infrastructure projects, budget lending, and SME support.
Mandate Scope
The National Bank and Ministry of Finance have regulated mandatory use of the digital tenge for several types of state expenditures, including procurement of medical vehicles, transport vehicles, fuel and lubricants, and other goods, Suleimenov told the government on July 14. The digital tenge will also be applied in road construction, energy infrastructure modernization, budget lending, SME support, and tax administration. The announcement follows a prime ministerial directive to accelerate digital tenge adoption in over 100 major projects.
Payment Volumes
Kazakhstan's payment turnover for the first five months of 2026 reached 677 trillion tenge, with over 90% of payments processed through National Bank payment systems, Suleimenov said. The country has established a national digital financial infrastructure, and the expansion of digital tenge usage continues. The digital tenge, a third form of national currency alongside cash and non-cash money, exists as tokens and allows programmable payments.
Anti-Corruption Context
The digital tenge's programmability and tagging features enable tracking of fund movements and prevention of misuse. In January 2025, authorities identified 1,200 corruption loopholes in the road sector, and digitalization is expected to allow monitoring of budget funds on the Digital Tenge platform with participation of the National Bank and Ministry of Finance.
What's Next
The National Bank and Ministry of Finance are expected to issue detailed implementation guidelines for the mandatory digital tenge use. It remains unclear how quickly state agencies and suppliers will adapt to the new payment system and whether the measure will significantly reduce corruption in procurement.
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National Bank mandates digital tenge for state procurement
