The agricultural land allocation mechanism will be digitized. Several provisions of the Land Code are being revised, APK News reports.
This issue was discussed yesterday by the Majilis Committee on Agrarian Issues. An extended meeting was held there to discuss the draft law "On Amendments to Certain Legislative Acts on Soil Protection." The discussion focused on amendments aimed at changing the agricultural land allocation mechanism and transitioning it to electronic tenders.
Mazhilis Deputy Nurzhan Ashimbetov recalled that the amendments were developed by the Government pursuant to the instructions of the Head of State.
According to Deputy Minister of Agriculture Azat Sultanov, the proposed amendments provide for the digitization of the agricultural land allocation mechanism and are aimed at increasing the transparency of allocation procedures. Specifically, several provisions of the Land Code are being revised.
The main goal of the amendments is to ensure transparency in the allocation of agricultural land by abolishing land commissions and completely transitioning to electronic tenders. The basic provisions of the Code, including the obligations of land users and the system for awarding additional points, remain in place, the Deputy Minister stated.
Tenders are planned to be held on the state property registry's web portal, with fully automated procedures—from application submission to winner determination.
The new mechanism proposes reducing the tender period from 90 to 45 calendar days, transitioning to a proactive participation format without the need to prepare tender proposals and business plans, and determining the winner using an automated system.
Additionally, a "second winner" mechanism and restrictions for individuals who fail to sign a lease agreement are being introduced.
During the discussion, deputies raised a number of practical issues related to the implementation of the proposed regulations. Specifically, they addressed the clarification of the bill's terminology, issues related to the valuation of various land categories, and changes to the cadastral value of plots. They also discussed the readiness of local executive bodies to hold tenders, including the availability of infrastructure, human resources, and the level of readiness of the digital platform, as well as potential risks and limitations associated with the implementation of the digital mechanism.
Special attention was given to reducing the competition period to account for seasonal agricultural work, the scoring procedure, and the criteria for identifying "aspiring entrepreneurs."
The meeting was attended by Majilis deputies, representatives of central government agencies, the National Chamber of Entrepreneurs "Atameken," industry organizations, and local executive bodies.
Further work on the draft law will continue, taking into account the proposals made.