New law on volunteer activity comes into force in September

Kazakh residents, engaged in voluntary work, will have privileges when entering the civil service. It is also planned to support animal shelters and charitable organizations in the country. Thus, they can count on state assistance, for example, in obtaining communal property on preferential terms. These and other amendments were made to the country's law on volunteering, charity, and NGOs. They were announced at a press briefing. According to the new regulations, it is planned to grant honorary titles to the best in this field, the speakers said. Business representatives and volunteers, as well as non-profit and charitable organizations, can apply for them. The latter are now required to report on their revenue and expenses, as well as on the work accomplished and achievements, at least once a year. They need to publish all these data on their websites or on various media platforms. The amended law, signed by the President on July 4, is expected to come into force as early as September.

“This law was initiated by the Ministry of Information and Social Development on behalf of the Government. The members of the Parliament and in particular I, being the leaders of the working group, held 22 meetings with the participation of the representatives of the interested state bodies and non-profit organizations. Our working group included representatives of voluntary and charitable organizations, as well as experts. It was very important for us to reflect absolutely all of the opinions in the amendments that were made to the bill at that time. The proposed legislative amendments are aimed at encouraging and developing the above-mentioned spheres,” said Vera Kim, Member of Mazhilis, the Lower House of Kazakh Parliament.