Renewed government: ministers become younger, more diverse

Signing a decree, Tokayev replaced the Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development, Minister of Environment and Natural Resources, Minister of Justice, Minister of Enlightenment, and Minister of Culture and Sports.

Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development

Introducing Marat Karabaev as the new Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development on January 4, Kazakh Prime Minister Alikhan Smailov said he has a great experience in the sphere of new technologies, industry and innovative development and proved himself as a highly qualified specialist, able to mobilize the necessary resources to achieve the goals.

Photo: gov.kz

Karabayev was born on July 4, 1987. In 2010, he graduated from the University of Warwick under the Bolashak presidential scholarship program, majoring in system engineering. In 2015, he graduated from Taraz State University with a degree in economics.

In different years, Karabaeyev worked in the Ministry of Agriculture, headed the Department of Transit and Transport Logistics of the Ministry of Transport and Communications, and was Deputy Head of the Department of Entrepreneurship and Industrial and Innovative Development of the former South Kazakhstan region. From May 2018 to July 2020, he headed the Department of Defense Industry Complex Development of the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development before being appointed as Chairman of the Industrial Development Committee at the ministry. Until his recent appointment, he served as Vice Minister of Industry and Infrastructure Development.

«The head of state has outlined important tasks to stimulate the growth rates of the processing industry and production of high value-added products, as well as the development of basic industries, logistics potential and transport infrastructure,» said Alikhan Smailov.

He added that special attention should be paid to the development of the geological industry and attracting investment in the exploration and production of minerals. Based on the January 2 decree of President Tokayev, subsoil use and mineral base were transferred from the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources to the Ministry of Industry and Infrastructure Development.

Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources

Zulfiya Suleimenova is now the youngest minister in the cabinet. Born in 1990 in Aktobe, she studied international relations at the Gumilev Eurasian National University. She also graduated from the Security and International Studies program at the National Institute for Policy Studies in Tokyo. She holds a Ph.D. degree and is a member of the Presidential Youth Personnel Reserve.

Photo: primeminister.kz

Speaking three languages - Kazakh, Russian and English, Suleimenova is passionate about the environment and development and has written her thesis on transboundary water cooperation in the Syrdarya River basin. Four years ago, when she first joined the personnel reserve, she admitted that she wanted to devote her experience and knowledge to solving environmental issues in Kazakhstan.

In an interview with Khabar 24 TV channel, she shared a bit about her lifestyle.

«It takes 12,000-15,000 liters of water to produce one jacket. I am very concerned about water and ecology. I don't wear natural fur as a matter of principle because I think that the humane treatment of animals should start with people, with us. That is why I do not eat meat, do not wear fur and do not use cosmetics that have been tested on animals. I do not go to zoos and dolphinariums,» said Suleimenova, who also became the third woman minister in the government.

Introducing Zulfiya Suleimenova to the staff of the Ministry of Ecology and Natural Resources, Smailov stressed that the agency needs to intensify work to solve acute environmental issues, including those related to the Aral Sea and Semipalatinsk region, as well as to achieve objectives in terms of water resource management and respect for nature and wildlife.

»It is necessary to achieve a gradual reduction of emissions of large enterprises and encourage them to introduce appropriate new technologies, as the health of our citizens directly depends on it,«said Alikhan Smailov.

Minister of Justice

Azamat Yeskarayev, in turn, became the new Minister of Justice, replacing Kanat Mussin.

Photo: primeminister.kz

Yeskaraev was born in 1979 in Almaty. He graduated from the Kazakh State Law Academy. In the early years of his career, he worked as a chief specialist of the Department of Legislation of the Ministry of Justice, the head of the Department of Legislation of the Ministry of Justice, the head of the management of the Department of By-laws of the Ministry of Justice and Chief Inspector of the Akim of Almaty.

He also served as Assistant to the Minister of Justice, Director of the Department of Analysis and Strategic Planning of the Ministry of Justice, Deputy Head and Head of the Legal Department of the Office of the Prime Minister.

At a meeting with the staff of the Ministry of Justice, Smailov noted that the new minister and the ministry need to ensure the development of by-laws on all recently adopted laws and the proper interagency coordination on this issue.

In addition, according to him, it is required to improve the quality of examination of regulatory legal acts, to interact more actively with the expert community as a whole and to continue work to form a new legislative framework.

»The President of the country has set a task to speed up the decision-making process at all levels of government. Exactly such an approach will allow us to carry out necessary social and economic reforms operatively,» said Smailov.

Minister of Enlightenment

Gani Beisembayev became the new Minister of Enlightenment, replacing Askhat Aimagambetov. Beisembayev served as Vice Minister of Enlightenment before his appointment.

Photo: primeminister.kz

Born in 1969 in the Kyzylorda region, he graduated from the Almaty State University named after Abay.

Beisembayev began his career in 1986 as the head of the auto club of the department of culture of Shieli district in the region. In different years, he worked as a Kazakh language teacher, high school principal, and academic secretary of the Kazakh Academy of Education named after Altynsarin.

He was also the Director of the Technical and Economic College of Almaty Technological University, Director General of the International Center of Education, and the president of the National Academy of Education named after Altynsarin.

Assigning priority tasks to the education minister, Smailov drew attention to the high-quality implementation of the Comfortable School national project, increasing the safety of educational institutions, introducing advanced teaching methods and digitalizing the sector.

At the same time, he said, it is necessary to continue the gradual development of pre-school and after-school and vocational education.

«It is at the initial stages of education that the foundations of human capital and further development of our country are laid. The government pays great attention to the field of education,» said Smailov.

Minister of Culture and Sports

Askhat Oralov was appointed the new Minister of Culture and Sports. He worked as Executive Secretary of the Amanat party before his appointment. Similar to Zulfiya Suleimenova, Oralov is also 32 years old and a member of the presidential youth personnel reserve.

Photo: primeminister.kz

At the meeting with the ministry, Smailov stressed that among the priorities of the new ministry are the preservation and popularization of the historical and cultural heritage of Kazakhstan, increasing the prestige of the nation in the international arena, as well as changing approaches to the development of sports.

»We must focus on the development of mass sport and raise the level of training of a new generation of professional athletes. All necessary efforts should be made for that,«said Alikhan Smailov.

Overall, experts commend the new appointments, highlighting that the cabinet is becoming younger and more representative. In recent years, more women have been taking positions in the government. Three women occupy ministerial positions, the third being Zulfiya Suleimenova. Nine women are deputy ministers and one of them is the head of one of the ministry’s staff, thereby bringing the number of women in the government’s leadership positions to 13 women.

Written by Assel Satubaldina