Kazakhstan Sets Separate Rules for New City of Alatau

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has signed the constitutional law “On the Special Legal Regime of the City of Alatau.” The law provides for the development of the new city under separate rules, with a special governance model, resident status, a digital platform, and separate approaches to business, investment, digital assets, and gambling, Orda.kz reports.

Akorda describes the new regime as an attempt to create a separate development model for Alatau. The city is expected to move beyond the standard governance framework and receive a special legal environment for investment, innovation, and economic growth.

The special status is intended to help create an independent ecosystem for innovation, investment, and economic development. In simple terms, Alatau is not being designed as an ordinary city governed only through the standard akimat model, but as a territory with separate rules for administration and regulation.

The constitutional law introduces a new model of public administration for the city. Separate approaches will be established for entrepreneurship, customs regulation, digital assets, gambling, the social sphere, the financial market, architecture, urban planning, ecology, culture, and sports.

The law also introduces the status of an “Alatau resident.” The city administration will be able to grant this status to individuals and legal entities. A resident’s category will determine which features of the special regime they can use and which requirements they must meet.

Another key element is digital governance. Data on urban infrastructure and public security systems is expected to be integrated into a single city platform. In other words, Alatau is being designed as a smart city, where space, infrastructure, and security are managed through digital systems.

The law also regulates the investment climate, investor guarantees, fiscal policy, urban design, and land relations.

However, the key question remains unanswered. Akorda’s statement does not disclose what economic functions Alatau will receive or how far the special regime will go.

Original author: Alexander Zhdanov

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