Around 2,000 rural mayors gathered in Astana today to
discuss pressing issues affecting Kazakhstan’s villages at a special dialogue
platform with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who emphasized that rural
development is of strategic importance for the country. Villages are the key to
Kazakhstan’s well-being, and the role of rural mayors is crucial, as the
prosperity of communities depends on their work and dedication. They bear even
greater responsibility, following political reforms that made village mayors
directly elected by residents themselves.
«We avoided unnecessary haste: elections of
rural district mayors were conducted gradually over five years. In total, 2,334
mayors were elected across the country. Their average age is 43. A third of
them are citizens who had never held public office before. These elections also
revitalized the work of political parties in the regions. More than 700
self-nominated candidates won. The elected mayors have taken up their duties,
and overall, the results can be considered satisfactory. Most importantly, they
understand the needs and expectations of local residents, as well as the
unresolved issues,» Tokayev said.
As a
result of the reforms, budget spending has become more efficient, and rural
revenues have grown. According to a recent survey, 84% of rural residents trust
their mayors. Over the past four years, more than 800 healthcare facilities
have been built in villages, along with 388 new educational institutions. Last
year, 2,000 rural schools were connected to high-quality internet.
«The potential of our villages is improving every year. The number of rural settlements with a high level of self-sufficiency has increased. The gross agricultural product has grown more than 1.5 times over the past six years, reaching 8.3 trillion tenge. This year, the government allocated one trillion tenge to support farmers. Few countries in the world provide such significant support to farmers; moreover, such financial assistance is unavailable in many states,» Tokayev noted.
To
further advance rural development, the President drew attention to the
requirements for local mayors. They must improve their professional competence,
with support from the Agency for Civil Service Affairs and the relevant ministry. At the same time, the
responsibilities of rural mayors must be clearly defined. The Head of State
instructed members of Parliament to take this into account when reviewing
legislative amendments. Most importantly, he
called for a legal requirement ensuring that mayors are accountable to
residents, as well as for mechanisms that would allow their powers to be
terminated if they fail to meet their obligations. Tokayev also
tasked the government with prioritizing the digitalization of
rural areas. Another key point is supporting rural entrepreneurship. Those
wishing to develop their own businesses will be assisted through the Auyl
Amanaty project, for which nearly 600 billion tenge will be allocated until
2029.
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