ASTANA, Kazakhstan, March 20. Kazakhstan's Alatau will be developed as a city with a self-sufficient ecosystem under a special legal status, Trend reports via the Mazhilis of the Parliament of Kazakhstan.
Deputies at a joint session of the chambers of Parliament approved in the first reading a draft Constitutional Law “On the special status of the city of Alatau”.
According to the document, Alatau is envisioned as an independent ecosystem with a distinct financial model, a special governance regime, and a fundamentally new institutional framework.
The proposed governance model is based on the separation of day-to-day local administration and strategic development, allowing for the establishment of a single center of responsibility for outcomes in the form of the Alatau City Authority.
This body is expected to operate as a state foundation with the status of a government entity, functioning outside the structure of the Cabinet but overseen by a council chaired by the Prime Minister. The council will approve key strategic decisions and adopt administrative acts that will carry legal force equivalent to local laws. The executive role within the administration will be carried out by a Chief Executive Officer.
At the same time, existing local government bodies will continue to perform their functions, ensuring the city’s day-to-day operations across social, communal, and political spheres.
Alatau is planned to be developed as a full-fledged smart city operating under the “Digital by default” principle, with all key governance processes designed in digital format and deeply integrated with artificial intelligence solutions.