Astana, February 28, the House of the Mazhilis. Today, at the plenary session of the Mazhilis, deputies adopted in the second reading and sent to the Senate amendments on communications, digitalization and improving the investment climate in the field of informatization, as well as on ensuring women's rights and child safety. The bill on bringing some legislative acts into line with the norms of the Constitution passed the first reading. A law on science and a number of ratification laws have been adopted.

Amendments on communications, digitalization and improving the investment climate in the field of informatization have passed the second reading in the Mazhilis. The document was initiated by the deputies in pursuance of the instructions of the Head of State. Ekaterina Smyshlyaeva, the head of the working group, said that the law provides for a permissive procedure for the operation of virtual operators.

– As part of the pilot project, special regulation is being introduced for the introduction of communication technologies using non-geostationary satellites (StarLink, OneWeb). The legal and technical regimes of the pilot project will be determined by the authorized body in the field of communications and the National Security Committee. This will make it possible to provide social facilities in remote settlements with the Internet," Ekaterina Smyshlyaeva noted.

In addition, telecom operators will be required to ensure the operation of broadcast messaging technology in case of emergency. The law also provides for preferential cellular tariffs for people with disabilities and a number of other standards.

Amendments on ensuring the rights of women and the safety of children were also adopted in the second reading.

– The law provides for the criminalization of actions aimed at intentionally causing minor harm to health, beatings, sexual harassment of persons under the age of sixteen, propaganda of suicide and others. The competencies of Family Support Centers have been clarified in terms of providing support to persons with signs of domestic violence with the possibility of temporary residence for them. The procedure for the detention of persons who have committed a criminal offense for causing minor harm and battery has been regulated," said the head of the working group, Zhuldyz Suleimenova.

Chairman of the Mazhilis Yerlan Koshanov noted that the amendments were developed on behalf of the Head of State and are aimed at restoring the dictatorship of law and order in the country.

– The issue of the vulnerability of women and children is increasingly becoming the main topic of discussion in the media and social networks. We see a lot of destroyed families, broken women's destinies, injured children through the fault of aggressors and abusers. Therefore, the public rightly demands tougher responsibility for any kind of violence against children and women. The new law provides the harshest penalties for such crimes," Yerlan Koshanov stressed.

The Mazhilismen also adopted a law on science initiated by deputies. Chairman of the Committee on Socio-Cultural Development Askhat Aimagambetov said that the main purpose of the amendments is to improve legislation in the field of science and education. Currently, scientists working at research institutes or universities receive an additional monthly fee for their academic degrees, such as Doctor of Philosophy, Doctor of Sciences, PhD.

– Now it is proposed to pay them extra for academic titles, such as professor or associate professor. In addition, scientists working in universities and scientific organizations will be able to get a sabbatical for up to one year to complete scientific, scientific, pedagogical and scientific-technical work," Askhat Aimagambetov said.

In the first reading, the deputies approved amendments on bringing some legislative acts into line with the norms of the Constitution of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The amendments and additions are related to the fact that the Constitutional Court recognized some articles of the Law "On Public Service" as not conforming to the Basic Law of the country. Amendments are being made to articles 16, 59, 61, 64-1.

– The provisions of subparagraph 6 of paragraph 3 of Article 16 of the Law "On Public Service" lead to the suppression of the constitutional rights of citizens and do not meet the requirements of fairness, proportionality and proportionality. The bill proposes, instead of an indefinite ban, to establish a two–year restriction period on the admission to the civil service of citizens dismissed for committing disciplinary offenses discrediting the civil service," said Darkhan Zhazykbayev, Chairman of the Agency for Civil Service Affairs.

In addition, the Mazhilis has ratified a number of international documents. Among them is the Treaty between Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan on Allied Relations, which aims to further strengthen the independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and sustainable economic development of the two states. According to I.O. Foreign Minister Kairat Umarov, the countries agreed to create favorable conditions for deepening mutual economic cooperation, strengthening and increasing trade turnover, investment, entrepreneurial and other economic activities, as well as in other areas.

Minister of Health Akmaral Alnazarova presented two ratification bills. Among them is the Protocol on Amending the Agreement on Trade–Related Aspects of Intellectual Property Rights. Within its framework, any member country of the World Trade Organization can export products manufactured under compulsory licenses. However, such production of medicines is carried out for public health purposes, that is, not for commercial purposes.

Another document is the Agreement on Cooperation between the CIS member states on the prevention and Response to emergencies in the field of public health of a sanitary and epidemiological nature. One of its most important points is the efficiency of the actions of specialized anti-epidemic teams, the exclusion of lengthy procedures if they need to cross state borders in the event of an emergency of a sanitary and epidemiological nature in the territories of the CIS countries.

In addition, today the Mazhilis Committee on Economic Reform and Regional Development has adopted three new bills. These include amendments to the Law of the Republic of Kazakhstan "On Road Traffic" on the organization of movement of certain types of vehicles and digitalization of road safety with a related project, as well as a draft law on support for the tourism industry.

At the end of the plenary session, the Mazhilismen sent 10 deputy requests to the responsible state bodies on topical social and economic topics. All of them are available on the official website and Telegram channel of the Mazhilis.

The press service of the Mazhilis - 24-38-22. Photo by J. Zhumabekova, T. Tanybaeva