School and Hospital Heads Allowed to Do Business, but Control Tightened
Kazakhstan has introduced a new law allowing directors of state-run schools, hospitals, and agencies to engage in business activities. The change comes with strict conditions to prevent corruption and conflicts of interest. Officials must now balance their public roles with private ventures under close scrutiny.
The law was passed by Kazakhstan’s Parliament after the Constitutional Court ruled that restrictions on officials’ business activities must align with their specific duties. Under the new rules, directors can own or operate businesses only if they avoid using public resources, prevent conflicts of interest, and ensure no interference with their official work.
Violations carry serious consequences. Exploiting public assets or creating conflicts of interest can lead to dismissal under anti-corruption laws. Directors must also comply with financial oversight, avoid hiring close relatives, and maintain transparency in decision-making. The anti-corruption agency has stressed that this new right does not reduce accountability. Officials remain fully liable for corrupt practices, and oversight measures stay in place to enforce compliance.
The law took effect immediately after its passage. Directors must now follow risk-based procedures and prove compliance with the new regulations. Failure to meet these standards could result in penalties, including removal from their positions.
Read also:
- American teenagers taking up farming roles previously filled by immigrants, a concept revisited from 1965's labor market shift.
- Weekly affairs in the German Federal Parliament (Bundestag)
- Landslide claims seven lives, injures six individuals while they work to restore a water channel in the northern region of Pakistan
- Escalating conflict in Sudan has prompted the United Nations to announce a critical gender crisis, highlighting the disproportionate impact of the ongoing violence on women and girls.
