The number of religious institutions has been reduced by 32% down to 3 088 institutions representing 16 faiths, KazTag reports, citing Kairat Lama Sharif, Head of the National Agency for Religions.

“Out of the 4 551 religious institutions representing 46 faiths as of January 1, 2012, only 3 088 religious institutions representing 17 faiths have been able to complete the obligatory re-registration”, he told in a recent interview for the Kazakhstanskaya Pravda (Kazakhstan Truth) newspaper.

According to him, the re-registration enabled to renew the database on religious institutions.

He elaborated that the Muslim Spiritual Authority registered June 19, 2012 from now on acts as the single Muslim organization across Kazakhstan. “As of today, 2 228 mosques have met the state registration criteria”, he said.

“October 17 the Agency for Religions completed registration of the Russian Orthodox Metropolitan Authority comprising 9 eparchies and 261 parishes (…) The Armenian Apostolic Church and 8 Old Believers’ churches act within the Russian Orthodox field”, according to him.

He also elaborated that there are 79 Catholic Church entities, 4 Jewish communities and 3 Buddhist organizations. “Out of the earlier registered 666 Protestant churches, 462 churches have met the registration criteria, with the other churches to be liquidated”.

Back in 2011 Kazakhstan passed a new law on religious institutions setting obligatory re-registration of all religious entities. Reregistration was closed October 25.