Kazakhstan's rural revival: New training and talent drive for local leaders
The forum brought together representatives of government agencies, rural akims (local governors), and experts to focus on rural development and improving the efficiency of local governance.
Speaking at the event, Darkhan Zazykbayev emphasized that rural development remains a key priority of state policy. He reiterated the President's stance that strong villages are the foundation of the country's sustainable growth, and that rural akims bear special responsibility for local conditions.
According to Zazykbayev, the effectiveness of government policy implementation depends directly on local performance, raising the bar for the professionalism and accountability of civil servants.
The Agency Chairman also presented overall data on recruiting new personnel to the regions, highlighting figures from West Kazakhstan Region in particular.
Notably, 82 university graduates with a GPA of at least 3.33 were hired without competition for district and village-level positions in the region.
Additionally, following a selection process for the Regional Talent Pool, 30 candidates were chosen from 273 applicants, with 73% already employed.
Special attention is being given to upskilling rural akims. Last year, the Academy of Public Administration, in partnership with the Amanat party, implemented a standardized retraining program, which was completed by 2,219 rural akims.
In line with the President's instructions, the program will be updated and extended this year.
"Candidates nominated by parties for rural akim positions must already be improving their knowledge and skills if they genuinely intend to serve the country and develop rural areas," the Agency Chairman noted.
To conclude the forum, participants discussed proposals for further rural development and enhancing the role of rural akims.
