
Enhancing Knowledge on New Management Regulations in Kyrgyzstan
| January 6th, 2025 | News
In order to stay in line with the latest regulations, local communities, which develop management and utilisation plans for rangelands, got some much needed updates in November, 2024, as well as more information about the creation of municipal enterprises to provide more services to rural mountain populations.
In response to the new rules, CAMP Alatoo organized a roundtable for representatives of local self-government bodies, agricultural development departments, municipal enterprises, and rural community leaders from the Ak-Suu, Jeti-Oguz, and Ton districts in Issyk-Kul Province, and Naryn District in Naryn Province, Kyrgyzstan – part of the pilot zone for CAMCA.
The meeting focused primarily on the procedures for establishing and operating what are called municipal enterprises for rangeland management. Salamat Jumabaeva, the CAMCA project coordinator from CAMP Alatoo, emphasised: “Not all pilot areas have such enterprises that are created to meet the needs of local communities for accessible and high-quality services, whether it’s water supply, rangeland management, waste collection, or other sectors. For such enterprises to operate effectively, they need competent specialists who can improve the quality of life for citizens through the provision of services.”
Detailed information on creating and running municipal enterprises was provided by Urmat Omurbekov, a specialist from the Department of Rangelands and Livestock Breeding at the Ministry of Agriculture, Water Resources, and Processing Industry of Kyrgyzstan. Participants had lots of questions – how does the municipal enterprise function day-to-day? how can commercial organizations, aimed at profit, also fulfill a public mandate responsibly, including tasks assigned by local self-governments? Of particular interest to the audience was how to budget municipal enterprises, as well as requirements for reporting and other operational aspects.
The second part of the roundtable addressed the Kyrgyz Government’s new standard regulations on the development of rangeland management and utilization plans, including annual plans. This process is directly tied to the activities of municipal enterprises, whose specialists are responsible for preparing the plans, which are then evaluated by regional agricultural development departments, approved by local deputies, and adopted at village council sessions. As part of the CAMCA project, CAMP Alatoo will support local self-government bodies and municipal enterprises in the development of such plans in five pilot rural areas. These plans are crucial to help chart a path forward towards reaching several Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
The final stage of the roundtable focused on summarizing the discussions and developing recommendations to improve rangeland management efficiency and ensure the sustainable development of natural resources in the regions of Kyrgyzstan. Participants also discussed the recent administrative-territorial reform, a five-year rangeland development program, and the objectives of the CAMCA project.
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