Tengrinews.kz - The Astana Akimat commented on the possibility of the capital switching to its "own time zone."
The government has announced the results of a study on the impact of the unified time zone on Kazakhstanis' lives. According to Minister of Trade and Integration Arman Shakkaliyev, changing the time zone has no negative consequences for citizens' daily activities.
The minister also mentioned the East Kazakhstan region, where several districts have adopted a new work schedule from 8:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Shakkaliev noted that, if necessary, any region could follow this example, with decisions being made by local administrations.
Tengrinews.kz reached out to the Astana administration to inquire whether the capital is considering switching to its "own time zone."
"The Akim's office of Astana, after reviewing your request regarding working hours, informs that the issue of transitioning to a new work schedule is not being considered," the administration responded to the official inquiry.
As a reminder, on January 5, residents of 17 villages in the Katon-Karagay district switched to their own work schedule, with working hours from 08:00 AN to 5:30 PM. On February 24, residents of Markakol and Ulken Naryn districts followed suit.
In addition, residents of Zaysan, Kurchum, Tarbagatai districts, and Samar district will start their workday an hour earlier from March 5.