Published
09/16/2026, 16:04A budget surplus is often perceived as a sign that the state has spare cash. However, the Ministry of Finance emphasises that this is not a matter of ‘surplus’ funds, but rather of money that has already been earmarked for specific purposes.
At public budget hearings, First Deputy Minister of Finance Talas Aidarbek uulu explained that around 32 billion KGS of the surplus are needed to meet the state’s obligations — including social spending and the repayment of public debt.
According to him, previously, when the budget was in deficit, the question arose as to whether the state had enough money. However, a deficit does not mean a lack of funds as such, but rather the need to tap into additional sources to cover current and capital expenditure. With a surplus, the situation is the reverse: revenue exceeds expenditure; yet this does not mean that the resulting difference can be regarded as a free balance.
Public debt is of particular significance here. Kyrgyzstan has reached a stage where repayments on previously raised loans are increasing, not only in terms of interest but also the principal amount of the debt.
Therefore, part of the surplus is in fact needed to enable the state to settle its accumulated debt obligations without placing additional pressure on the budget.
Talas Aidarbek uulu also noted that, when all revenue, expenditure and debt repayments are taken into account, the budget as a whole remains balanced.
He also touched upon the issue of pay rises. According to him, the additional expenditure associated with this year’s pay rises has already been factored into the budgetary allocations — including those for the Ministry of Health and national expenditure.
