New Year Corporate Parties Canceled in Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan

In Kazakhstan, which has already come to terms with the crisis and devaluation, approximately 100,000 people are effectively out of work. The reason is simple: in 2015, the republic banned New Year corporate parties, which are the largest source of income for event companies.

Celebrating the New Year with Eastern luxury has become a tradition in Kazakhstan. Companies earning millions of dollars could afford to invite even world stars to their corporate events: for instance, at the 2012 New Year gathering and in the first months of that year, closed parties were attended by Katy Perry, Jennifer Lopez, Adele, Beyoncé, and Whitney Houston. Many performances of a corporate nature at state and private events were also given by Russian stars: the most beloved were "Diskoteka Avaria," "Gradusy," Yolka, Elena Vaenga, Stas Mikhailov, and Vera Brezhneva. However, with the worsening economic situation, the number of invited guests began to decline. Finally, in August 2015, the head of state, Nursultan Nazarbayev, spoke about the need for citizens to "introduce universal savings," after it became clear that the tenge could not be maintained and a new stage of devaluation was inevitable. No one intended to abandon the planned expenses for "EXPO-2017," the 550th anniversary of the Kazakh Khanate, or the 20th anniversary of the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan, so another solution was found: to cancel lavish New Year celebrations in the ministries and national companies of the republic. Gas workers, railway workers, employees of the state airline and nuclear industry, as well as staff from the Ministry of Internal Affairs, cultural institutions, and education will be left without a winter holiday... When journalists asked the ministries about the reasons for such a decision, the press services remained silent. There was no official order from Nursultan Abishevich prohibiting pre-New Year and other gatherings, but the trend of cancellation was picked up by many private structures, publicly stating their desire to spend money on helping orphanages and nursing homes. Or notifying employees that the budget does not allow for a grand celebration in a restaurant with a host. However, on social networks and forums, Kazakhs are expressing their desire to celebrate the holiday with colleagues anyway, albeit more modestly, without using state or company funds.

A similar situation with corporate parties is observed in neighboring Kyrgyzstan. There, a whole scandal erupted before the New Year. It turned out that in a country where more than 1.8 million citizens live below the poverty line, many companies hold million-som celebrations for their employees, allowing not only the management to enrich themselves through expense write-offs but also event organizations. Special outrage was caused by a message on the official government procurement portal, where the "Manas International Airport" JSC announced its intention to spend 1.5 million soms on a New Year corporate evening. Each participant in the tender was given a condition: to provide each of the 350 employees invited to the celebration with a full table, contests, a host, and other services totaling 4,300 soms. After civil society and journalists made this information public, it was decided to cancel the ill-fated corporate event. The Kyrgyz government followed their example.

- Instead of New Year corporate parties, it is better to organize a celebration for the children of orphanages and boarding schools, who are more in need of care and support, - said Temir Sariev at a government meeting with members of the cabinet. - Of course, we cannot completely ban corporate parties in the pre-holiday days. Government members and employees have the right to hold them, but only with their personal funds.

There will be no lavish feasts for employees of the municipality of the capital and large cities, and in some ministries. In some places, for example, in the Ministry of Labor and Social Development, the celebration was retained, but only for the children of employees: they will receive small gifts that will be handed out at the Christmas tree. Some government agencies, as well as employees of private organizations, will still celebrate the New Year with their colleagues. Leisure in the form of an outdoor team-building event, a festive New Year or themed evening will cost Kyrgyzstanis at least 1,500 soms plus expenses for appearance and festive attire.