Kazakhstan plans to establish unified electronic archive
Vice Minister of Culture and Information of Kazakhstan Aibek Sydykov presented key provisions of a draft law designed to strengthen the country’s archival system and safeguard its documentary and historical heritage, including electronic records, Kazinform News Agency reports.
According to the ministry, Kazakhstan currently operates 231 archives, including the Archive of the Kazakh President and four specialized state archives. Their collections comprise 74,500 holdings with about 27.5 million items. In addition to traditional paper records, an electronic repository is being developed and utilized by government agencies, the quasi-public sector, and businesses.
“There is now an urgent need to integrate electronic documents from various information systems into a unified archive to ensure long-term storage and streamline workflows. The draft law introduces provisions for establishing such an archive, digitizing records, and expanding the conceptual framework,” Sydykov said.
The draft also clarifies new terms such as “electronic archival document,” “electronic copy of a paper document,” “paper copy of an electronic document,” and “document value assessment,” among others.
In addition, the bill proposes requiring legal entities producing audiovisual materials funded by the state budget to deposit one copy for state preservation. Materials produced with private funds may be submitted to the archive on a voluntary basis.
Special attention is given to protecting personal data. Sydykov emphasized that the draft law provides safeguards to ensure the confidentiality of information containing private details when requested by third parties.
The draft law also provides for social support of archive workers. In particular, it proposes including specialists employed in rural archives among the civil servants entitled to an additional allowance equal to 25% of their base salary.
As reported earlier, Kazakhstan is set to launch a national cargo airline in 2026.
