1 Billion Tenge for 19 People: KTZ Explains Top Managers' Bonuses

The Chairman of the Management Board of "Kazakhstan Temir Zholy" National Company" Joint-Stock Company, Talgat Aldybergenov, has made an official statement regarding the billion-tenge rewards and bonuses for top managers that triggered a major public debate, the press service of the department reports.

Previously, citing KTZ's financial statements, the media reported that the amount of compensation granted to the company's management exceeded 1 billion tenge. This figure sparked heated discussions on social media against the backdrop of rising passenger ticket prices and the company's internal debts.

During the accountability meeting, Talgat Aldybergenov clarified that this amount does not consist solely of bonuses and explained how it was formed:

"Bonuses are paid only if the company generates a net profit. Based on the results of 2025, KTZ increased its net profit by 2.1 times. That is, while the profit in 2024 was around 185 billion tenge, it reached 340 billion tenge by the end of 2025. This specified amount includes payments not only for the members of the management board but also for the board of directors. This covers salaries, vacation pay, and other types of payments," the Chairman of the Management Board said.

Furthermore, the head of the company noted that the performance of KTZ and its executive body is evaluated by a board of directors consisting of 6 independent members. According to him, the decision to pay bonuses is not made independently and undergoes the following strict three-level verification:

1 First stage: An audit by the company's internal audit service;

2 Second stage: An evaluation by the compliance service, which reports directly to the board of directors;

3 Third stage: A final review conducted upon the request of the "Samruk-Kazyna" National Welfare Fund.

"The decision is not made by us, but by the board of directors," the speaker emphasized. According to official data, the mentioned bonuses were distributed among a total of 19 people.