According to information from Ulysmedia.kz, in November of this year, Kazakhstanis spent more on plastic surgeries than in the entire previous period combined. Previously, such surgeries were not considered a way to use pension savings.
The sharp increase in demand for plastic surgeries occurred after the closure of the possibility to use pension funds for dental services in September, which was caused by mass document forgery. After that, there was an increase in the number of applications for ophthalmic surgeries.
However, suspicious schemes were soon identified here as well. In early December, "Otbasy Bank" suspended funding for ophthalmology. Despite this, in November, about 9,800 applications were approved for a total of 8.4 billion tenge, which is a third less than in October. The number of refunds due to misuse also increased. Refunds are still ongoing for dental applications, which have not been accepted for two months. At the same time, there are virtually no refunds for plastic surgeries, and the use of pension funds for housing remains at a high level.
