Sadyr Zhaparov: Residents' concerns should be resolved locally, rather than being escalated to the president

Most of the issues that citizens bring to the attention of the head of state should be resolved at the local government level, without intervention from central authorities. President Sadyr Zhaparov made this statement at a nationwide meeting in Cholpon-Ata with the president’s plenipotentiary representatives in the regions, the mayors of Bishkek and Osh, and the heads of law enforcement and judicial agencies.

According to the president, during his working visits to the Osh and Naryn regions, he personally observed that 80–90% of the issues raised by residents fall within the jurisdiction of local self-government bodies.

“These issues include drinking water, irrigation, the condition of local roads, land relations, street lighting, municipal services, and social infrastructure. Most of them could have been resolved locally, but they remain unresolved for months, years, and sometimes even decades,” Zhaparov noted.

The President emphasized that the practice of shifting responsibility between agencies must become a thing of the past.

“People need not excuses, but lawful, fair, and timely decisions. Government agencies should not wait to take action only after citizens have repeatedly visited their offices or turned to social media,” he stated.

In this regard, the head of state instructed the Cabinet of Ministers to review the functions of government agencies and relieve local self-government bodies of powers that are not within their purview. According to Sadyr Zhaparov, today, aiyl okmotus are forced to ensure compliance with 152 laws and approximately 270 subordinate regulatory acts, which distracts them from addressing issues of local importance.

The President also announced an expansion of the powers of regional leaders. Going forward, the President’s authorized representatives in the regions will participate in the appointment of heads of territorial divisions of ministries and law enforcement agencies, as well as approve their dismissal from office upon receipt of substantiated proposals. Mayors of cities of republican and regional significance will be granted similar powers, while district akims will have such powers with respect to the heads of district-level divisions of state agencies.

“From now on, the President’s authorized representatives, akims, and mayors will bear personal responsibility for the implementation of state policy in the territories entrusted to them,” Sadyr Zhaparov emphasized.

Following the meeting, the president instructed the leaders to make more active use of the powers granted to them and announced that another expanded meeting would be held by the end of the year to review the interim results of the implementation of the decisions adopted.