President of Kazakhstan Nursultan Nazarbayev has declared a government reorganization during today’s expanded cabinet meeting, Tengrinews correspondent reports.
“We need to create an effective system of public administration. We need a compact government. We do not need more officials than are required," Nursultan Nazarbayev said.
“I have made a decision on the new structure of the government. It will consist of 12 ministers and about 30 committees instead of 17 ministries, nine agencies, 54 committees and 272 departments. Do you catch the difference? All nine agencies will enter the ministries in the form of committees,” the head of state declared.
“Five new ministries shall be created. The Ministry of National Economy, which shall absorb the Ministry of Economy and Budget Planning, the Ministry of Regional Development, Statistics Agency, Agency for Regulation of Natural Monopolies (Anti-Monopoly Agency), Agency for Competition Protection and Agency for Consumer Protection. Upon recommendation of the Prime Minister, Yerbolat Dossayev (former Minister of Economy) shall be appointed the Minister,” Nazarbayev said.
The President continued: “The Ministries of Health and of Social Protection shall be joined into one. It shall be called the Ministry of Health and Social Development. Tamara Duisenova (former Minister of Labour and Social Protection) shall be appointed the Minister. (Salidat) Kairbekova (former Health Minister) has not done anything wrong, we are consolidating (the Ministries), so if we have your consent, you shall be First Deputy Minister and will be responsible for the same field of work as before.
"This also concerns all the ministers, whose jobs will be cut, they are not in the wrong, the government on my instruction will find them jobs. They will work as Deputies responsible for the same fields of work as before. As for (Bolat) Zhamishev of the Ministry of Regional Development, if you are ready, we will send you to lead the Development Bank of Kazakhstan. You won’t stay unemployed.
“Ministry of Culture and Sport shall absorb the functions and powers of the Ministry of Culture, Agency for Religious Affairs and Agency for Sports and Physical Activities. (Arystanbek) Mukhamediuly (former Minister of Culture) shall be the Minister of the newly created ministry,” the President said.
“The Ministry of Investment and Development shall absorbed the functions and powers of the Ministry of Industry and New Technologies, Ministry of Transport and Communications, Agency for Communication and Information and National Space Agency (Kazcosmos). Besides it will be dealing with energy efficiency and geology. Asset Issekeshev (former Minister of Industry and New Technologies) shall be appointed to this office. The Minister of Transport and Communications Zhenis Kassymbek shall be the First Deputy, Askar Zhumagaliyev (former Chair of the Agency for Communication and Information) shall be the Deputy,” Nazarbayev said.
“The Ministry of Energy shall be created. This Ministry shall assume the functions and powers of the Ministry of Oil and Gas, Ministry of Industry and New Technologies and Ministry of Environment and Water Resources. After thinking and discussing, I have decided to appoint Vladimir Shkolnik (former president of KazAtomProm), who at this stage is the most appropriate and experienced person who knows the industry, as the Minister,” the President said.
“Uzakbai Karabalin (former Minister of Oil and Gas) shall be Shkolnik’s Deputy, he shall be the First Deputy. Nurlan Kapparov, can stay in the ministry and be the Deputy, or I can offer you to become president of KazAtomProm national (nuclear) company,” the President said addressing the ex-Minister of Environment and Water Resources. To this Kapparov replied without hesitation: "KazAtomProm? This would be interesting.”
“Functions and powers of the Ministry of Emergency Situations shall be transferred to the Ministry of Internal Affairs, as it is done in many other countries. Here Kalmukhanbet Kasymov (Minister of Interior) shall be appointed the Minister, and (Vladimir) Bozhko (former Emergencies Minster) shall be his Deputy and will continue doing his job,” Nazarbayev said.
“The rest of the ministries shall remain with certain changes in their powers. In particular, budget planning functions shall be transferred from Ministry of Economy and Budget Planning to the Ministry of Finance.
"The Prime-Minister shall have only two Deputies (instead of three) – Bakytzhan Sagintayev (as First Deputy) and Gulshara Abdykalikova for human development.
"The Ministry of Agriculture shall assume the function of the Ministry of Environment and Water Resources in the areas of fishing industry, management of water resources, forests and wildlife,” the President declared.
Reporting by Assemgul Kassenova and Assel Satayeva, writing by Dinara Urazova, editing by Tatyana Kuzmina
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