Expert opinion: Kaisar Nigmetov
03.09.2020
The development of the local self-government system is one of the indispensable conditions for economic prosperity, social well-being and the formation of civil society. The President's Address dated September 1, 2020 touched upon important issues of local self-government development. Why is this important? The main purpose of the local self-government system (hereinafter – the LSS) is to increase the autonomy of local authorities in solving local issues, taking into account the interests of all residents of a particular territory through meetings and gatherings of the local community. This measure was provided for in the Plan of the Nation -100 Concrete Steps" for the implementation of five institutional reforms (step 98), in which, at the level of a city of district significance, village, rural district (hereinafter – RD), it was planned to introduce an independent budget of LSS. What has already been done? Today, the fourth level of the budget has been implemented in 2,353 villages, rural districts, and cities of regional significance. To stimulate the development of the regional economy, corporate income tax revenues from small and medium-sized businesses were transferred to local budgets from 2020. In addition, on July 3 of this year, the Law on Public Service of the Republic of Kazakhstan was amended. Now, civil servants can also become participants of the program "With a diploma in the village". This will eliminate the existing shortage of personnel at the local level. Definitely, there are still problems in the development of local self – government that need to be addressed: further expansion of economic independence of district, city and rural levels of government, improvement of Internet access in rural areas, consideration of the transfer of additional powers to the local level, low involvement and civic activity. In addition, it is necessary to further improve the system of inter-budgetary relations, the distribution of transfers and subventions, which should also encourage regions to use internal resources to expand the tax base. The introduction of direct elections of village mayors complies with the basic principles of the European Charter of local self-government, such as: • electability of local self-government bodies based on democratic representation; • provision of financial support by the state and its Central bodies to local self-government bodies; • the right of local self-government bodies to property independence; • the right of local self-government bodies to participate in State affairs with appropriate financial support from the State. Thus, the implementation of the initiatives announced in the Address will increase the civic activity of people, promote democracy at the local level, as the residents themselves will be directly involved in decision-making on local issues.
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