Premier Moves to Streamline Government
Premier Moves to Streamline Government
A proposal by Kazak prime minister Karim Masimov to slash the number of strategic programmes implemented by government has been welcomed as a first step towards more effective administration.
Last week, Masimov proposed reducing the number of official “state programmes” from 120 to between five and seven, arguing that it was difficult to implement such a large number of wide-ranging plans, and to monitor their effectiveness. He also said the way programmes were planned and managed needed to be improved.
NBCentralAsia observers have welcomed Masimov’s initiative, saying it would be a major coup for his government, appointed only in January, if it was able to confine itself to working on a minimum number of strategic programmes.
“It shows that Masimov is a professional manager,” said Alexander Tsekhovoy of the Union of Project Managers. “He has huge responsibilities… and he cannot stay on top of more than seven state programmes if he is actually in control.”
NBCentralAsia analysts recalled that the previous cabinet headed by Danial Akhmetov drew criticism for way some of its state programmes were carried out, for example its industrial innovation strategy, administrative reform, socially-oriented entreprise and healthcare development. Masimov was a member of Akhmetov’s cabinet, so he may realise which programmes were failing, and focus instead on the more important ones.
NBCentralAsia analyst Eduard Poletaev believes priority will be given to technical innovation, oil refining, and space programmes.
Commentators say state programmes in Kazakstan suffer from a number of problems, including a failure to match activities to objectives, an inability to see the wood for the trees, and a shortage of young, professional personnel.
“In order for state programmes to be implemented effectively, young professionals need to be recruited and Soviet-era managers removed,” said Poletaev.
(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)
Last week, Masimov proposed reducing the number of official “state programmes” from 120 to between five and seven, arguing that it was difficult to implement such a large number of wide-ranging plans, and to monitor their effectiveness. He also said the way programmes were planned and managed needed to be improved.
NBCentralAsia observers have welcomed Masimov’s initiative, saying it would be a major coup for his government, appointed only in January, if it was able to confine itself to working on a minimum number of strategic programmes.
“It shows that Masimov is a professional manager,” said Alexander Tsekhovoy of the Union of Project Managers. “He has huge responsibilities… and he cannot stay on top of more than seven state programmes if he is actually in control.”
NBCentralAsia analysts recalled that the previous cabinet headed by Danial Akhmetov drew criticism for way some of its state programmes were carried out, for example its industrial innovation strategy, administrative reform, socially-oriented entreprise and healthcare development. Masimov was a member of Akhmetov’s cabinet, so he may realise which programmes were failing, and focus instead on the more important ones.
NBCentralAsia analyst Eduard Poletaev believes priority will be given to technical innovation, oil refining, and space programmes.
Commentators say state programmes in Kazakstan suffer from a number of problems, including a failure to match activities to objectives, an inability to see the wood for the trees, and a shortage of young, professional personnel.
“In order for state programmes to be implemented effectively, young professionals need to be recruited and Soviet-era managers removed,” said Poletaev.
(News Briefing Central Asia draws comment and analysis from a broad range of political observers across the region.)
