ASTANA – The first meeting of Astana’s Project Office members, held on Jan. 9, focused on measures to implement new approaches to regional development and to unlock regional potential, reported the Prime Minister’s press service.
First meeting of Astana’s Project Office members. Photo credit: primeminister.kz
The office, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev, aims to improve regional policy and ensure balanced social and economic growth in Kazakhstan’s regions. It comprises representatives of all central government agencies, cities’ and regions’ administrations, members of Parliament, and industry experts.
Bozumbayev emphasized prioritizing regions with “the greatest infrastructure challenges” and ensuring sufficient financial autonomy for project funding. He also suggested rewarding regions that exceed tax revenue expectations.
The meeting participants discussed eliminating regional development disparities, drafting new strategic documents, and enhancing the decision-making autonomy of district and rural akims (mayors). The Amanat party deputies proposed the Akim School project involving the Agency for Civil Service Affairs to develop local self-governance.
Bozumbayev instructed regional administrations and the local self-government development subgroup to screen villages to identify their specializations and develop infrastructure development and product sales assistance plans.
He necessitated eradicating weak inter-sectoral coordination between government agencies and called for improvements in local self-government legislation.
The meeting followed President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s visit to the Project Office, which plays a crucial role in implementing the tasks outlined in his annual state-of-the-nation addresses and the National Development Plan.
