Kazakhstan President approved Concept of Development of Local Self-Administration

Village Akims (Mayors) in Kazakhstan will get their own budgets and personnel, Tengrinews.kz reports from today's meeting of President Nazarbayev with heads of Kazakhstan regions. Nursultan Nazarbayev said that he signed the Concept of Development of Local Self-Administration that lays out all the goals. “We have to approve the plan of activities setting certain indicators of the Concept’s implementation before February 1 next year. This way we are starting the important reforms that will radically improve the work of the state administration and in the end will increase the people’s wealth,” Nazarbayev noted. The President instructed Ministry of Economy and Budget Planning to ensure transfer of required funds and staff to village Akims. “We need to see which local taxes are collected in the villages and are left there. The village and the Akim are nothing without a budget. Let them themselves attract new companies and help set up enterprises that will render services to the people. This way they would be interested (in making the businesses successful) and generate funds (from taxes) to build roads and repair schools,” the President said. Besides, Nursultan Nazarbayev raised the issue of electing regional and city Akims who are currently appointed with approval of Maslikhats (local executive bodies). “To further increase the role of local executive bodies we are implementing electivity of village Akims of low level, first via Maslikhats. Earlier the reform of local self-administration that we started several times was defused. Oblast Akims did not transfer the budgets to the villages. This is not a simple issue around the world either. We have to study the world’s experience,” President said. By Renat Tashkinbayev