Advanced government services without formal refusals: Kazakhstan improves legislation
16.07.2026 00:42:40 337
On May 19, 2026, the Head of State signed the laws "On the Civil Service of the Republic of Kazakhstan" and "On Amendments and Supplements to Certain Legislative Acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan on Civil Service Issues."
One of the key areas of the reform was improving the system of public service delivery and transitioning to a service-based model of government interaction with citizens. For the first time, a model of customer-oriented behavior for civil servants was enshrined at the legislative level, based on the principle: "Not the individual for the state, but the state for the individual."
The law introduced the principle of not allowing refusal of public services on formal grounds. If an application contains errors or an incomplete set of documents is submitted, the service recipient will be given a reasonable time to correct them instead of being denied.
The definition of service recipient has also been expanded. Now, protection of rights extends not only to citizens who have submitted an application but also to individuals intending to receive the public service. For such cases, a "Digital Waiting List" has been introduced, which will allow the right to receive the service to be maintained in the event of technical failures without resubmitting the application.
Another innovation is the introduction of the concept of "joint service provider." This will establish the responsibility of all participants in the public service delivery process and ensure compliance with deadlines at every stage.
Furthermore, the law requires government agencies to state all reasons for refusal simultaneously when refusing to provide a service, and to approve rules for the provision of new public services no later than three months after their introduction.
The new legislative provisions are aimed at improving the quality and accessibility of public services, reducing administrative barriers, and protecting the rights of service recipients. Most of the changes will come into force as early as July 2026.