Kyrgyzstan has seen a marked increase in social and economic project funding under the programme of stimulus grants allocated from the national budget. In 2024, a record 1.5 billion KGS will be earmarked for this purpose, opening up new opportunities for infrastructure development in the country's various regions.

According to local government data, 362 projects worth 585.9 million KGS have been implemented in the republic in the first nine months of this year. These investments are aimed at upgrading key social infrastructure facilities, including schools, kindergartens and medical centres, which, according to experts, should positively impact the population's quality of life.

For comparison: in 2023, only 800 million KGS was budgeted under the article ‘stimulating grants’, i.e. 1.9 times less than in this year's budget. At the same time, last year even less was spent on 320 projects implementation; given the savings of 115.8 million KGS, the real expenditure amounted to 684.2 million KGS, and for all 332 projects - 695 million KGS.

Jalal-Abad Oblast stands out as a leader in terms of grants received. As of 1 October, the region was allocated 140.3 million KGS for 82 projects implementation. In terms of funding the second place is occupied by Osh Oblast with 79 projects and 122.9 million KGS in grants.

Issyk-Kul oblast, famous for its natural resources and tourist attractions, received 74.1 million KGS for 49 projects.
We would add, that in 2023, Jalal-Abad (158.5 million KGS for the whole year) and Osh (132.7 million KGS) oblasts were also leaders in terms of received stimulus grants.

The largest proportion of funds is directed to educational institutions: 115 schools received KGS 160.8 million. Education has become a priority for the government and reflects its intention to invest in the younger generation's future. However, equally important is the focus on kindergartens, which received 80.1 million KGS.

Nevertheless, health facilities have received less attention among the projects, receiving only 10.4 million KGS for 6 facilities.

It is worth noting that the project implementation under stimulus grants depends not only on how quickly funding is allocated but also on tender procedures, conducted by local authorities. Sometimes this process is delayed, which also affects the project implementation speed. In general, given the money budgeted for stimulus grants, 2024 promises to be a watershed year in Kyrgyzstan's infrastructure development.