The Ministry of Finance will conduct a pilot project in which digital tenge will be used to pay for medical care, medicines, and medical devices within the guaranteed volume of free medical care (GOBMP) and compulsory social health insurance (OSMS). This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.

According to the draft order of the Minister of Finance, the new measure is expected to increase transparency in the spending of budget funds and quasi-public sector funds.

However, the full content of the draft orders has not been published on the "Open NPA" portal for many months. The official explanation from the Ministry of Justice is that the public and businesses are supposedly provided with the most important information in an accessible language. Meanwhile, in fact, the public and businesses remain unaware of the details of upcoming changes until they actually come into force. In this regard, many NPA projects, including this one, have received dissatisfied comments from users who are unaware of the details of the changes.

The document only notes that it was prepared by the Ministry of Finance on the instructions of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in February of this year. It is assumed that the new measure should increase transparency in the spending of budget funds and quasi-public sector funds.

The Ministry of Finance expects that settlements using digital tenge will help ensure transparency, traceability, and targeted use of GOBMP and OSMS funds. It also claims that the project will not entail negative socio-economic or legal consequences. The document will be under discussion until August 19.

Since July 18, Kazakhstan has enacted norms establishing digital tenge as a digital form of the national currency and legal tender. The relevant provisions are provided for by the law on regulation and development of the financial market, communications, and bankruptcy.

Only the National Bank will be able to issue, put into circulation, and redeem digital tenge. All transactions will be conducted through its digital tenge platform.

A digital account will be opened based on a client's application after concluding an agreement. Platform participants may include banks, organizations carrying out certain types of banking operations, the Central Depository, the Treasury Committee of the Ministry of Finance, other payment service providers, and legal entities determined by the National Bank.

Through a digital account, one will be able to receive and transfer digital tenge to other account holders, convert them into cash or non-cash money, and also receive information about the balance and transactions performed.

The law also provides for the possibility of seizing digital tenge on grounds established for money in bank accounts. In this case, the features of smart contracts and marked digital tenge must be taken into account.

Earlier, Kursiv wrote that Kazakhstan is expanding the use of digital tenge when spending budget funds. Until the end of 2026, it will be used in certain public procurement and transactions exceeding 100 million tenge, including purchases of medicines, fuel, construction, road repairs, and transport acquisition. The mechanism will allow tracking the movement of funds in real time and limiting their use strictly to established purposes.