“Responded, respond and will respond…”

Kyrgyz officials are obliged to respond to critical articles in the media, and journalists of 24.kg news agency conducted a survey of employees of several government agencies. We asked how they intend to respond to negative publicity about their departments and which material about this in the media they have recently read. Here are the answers of the respondents.

Duishenbek Irsaliev, chairman of the Foundation for State Property Management:

- We try to immediately respond to any reports in the media about our work. Previously, the Fund for State Property Management was some closed organization, but now everything has changed. We try to voice all the information that is interesting for the press. Recently there was an online meeting, where I answered questions from the media. We have nothing to hide. As for the content of the materials, I haven't seen critical articles about our work yet. So far, only the wishes are expressed.

Duishenbek Zilaliev, head of the State Agency of Geology and Mineral Resources:

- In this regard, I'm probably favored by the media, because critics in my and the State Agency address sounds less. But we try to respond in a timely manner for all publications that appear, to provide journalists with all the necessary information to work openly and transparently.

Danil Ibraev, Deputy Minister of Economy of the Kyrgyz Republic: 

- We are written about us often enough and in different ways. And it is not always clear, whether it is criticism or praise. We are criticized for the fact that not everything runs smoothly, that we are hurrying, rarely inform, that often go in the information field. We are ready to respond to all this criticism. To be honest, we, at the Ministry of Economy, look at more constructive suggestions that we are offered. We study and decide how to respond to the suggestions and defects that affect us. For example, comments that people in Kyrgyzstan know little about the upcoming accession of the country to the Eurasian Economic Union were repeatedly expressed. Now we are preparing additional brochures on this topic, videos, organize round tables. To some extent this is a reaction to the criticism and suggestions. At the same time it's scheduled work.

Zuura Bayamanova, State Secretary of the Ministry of Finance:

- Our press office daily provides sample of materials about the work of the Ministry of Finance, which came out in the media. This includes any information - both positive and negative - about the Ministry of Finance or its officials. We try to respond promptly to the publication. If the media have any questions, then we immediately prepare the answers, send them to the media and post on the official website. Almost all information about the activities of the Ministry of Finance - a reaction to most of statements that come out in the media. Work is on-going. Of course, there are some issues of exceptional character for which the Ministry of Finance doesn't immediately voice its position. But this is connected with the peculiarities of our work. According to the law "On civil service", there are moments that are not commented by civil servants.

Kubanychbek Turdubaev, Minister of Energy of the Kyrgyz Republic:

- The Department of Energy is closely monitoring all the publications in the media concerning the country's energy, and tries to respond to all incoming correspondence to the Ministry.

- What is last critical article you read in the media?

- It's hard to remember the names of specific articles, there were so many, and all of them are on the increase in electricity tariffs.

Eldiyar Ubaliev, Deputy Chairman of the State Registration Service:

- We regularly monitor the press, and yesterday the Office gave prompt response to media reports that the service allegedly illegally raised prices for the services of urgent documentation. We explained that the antitrust agency has sent information about the prices for personalization of documents without the cost of services on the documentation. But at places hanging stands with the prices for the services of personalization and documentation. But the citizens understood that the final price - indicated in the statement of the Antimonopoly Service. I had to explain twice, how the cost of the main document of a citizen is formed. It's just misunderstanding that caused a storm of negative comments on the Internet, and a burst of calls. I think that our press office responds fairly quickly to critical articles in the media. I try to keep track of events, but if something is missing, the staff immediately prints out the information and brings to leadership.

Aaly Karashev, chairman of State Personnel Service: 

- Public awareness is one of the important directions in the activity of the State Personnel Service, and our press service holds constant work in this direction. We regularly inform on the passage of state and municipal services, improving the legal framework, training, income declaration of state- and municipal employees. We also report on the results of monitoring conducted by the state authorities to comply with the law, the decisions of the Council of the Public Service. Also the web site of our department has "feedback" with the ability to ask a question and get an answer. Our press office regularly monitors media reports on the activities of the State Personnel Service, state and municipal services in general. Every day I look through news sites and periodicals. On the basis of the questions in the published materials, relating to the competence of the State Personnel Service, I give orders to analyze published and give an adequate explanation.

Gulnura Toralieva, head of information support the Government Office:

- Dzhoomart Kaiypovich personally looks through news feed, newspapers, television channels but he doesn't always have the opportunity to watch it, so we prepare a compilation of television programs to the Prime Minister.

- Could you name the last publication in the media, which attracted his attention?

- Information where a mother killed her children. He immediately began to find out how it happened. On the same day the prime minister saw the reaction of the relevant public authorities was sluggish. So he immediately called the Chief of Staff Nurkhanbek Momunaliev and instructed to immediately respond to such incidents. The prime minister emphasized the development of "civil" journalism and the fact that officials react to the publication of one of those "I - reporter", "People's news." On our Kyrgyz forum you can read the comments in order to understand the situation, watch a video with the facts of violations of the traffic police. Dzhoomart Kaiypovich believes that such publications help to identify weaknesses in the work of public authorities. But, unfortunately, today there is no legal framework that would oblige to respond to such publication.

- What is the solution in your opinion?

- Yesterday, the Chief of Staff held a meeting at which voiced an opinion on the need for the regulatory framework in this direction. And we have already developed a draft resolution on responding to materials and publications in the media. The document was coordinated by all ministries and now is sent for revision to the Justice Ministry. After all necessary procedures for the legalization of a document, Nurkhanbek Momunaliev intends to gather all the secretaries of state government agencies, heads of departments, envoys and assign personal responsibility for each of timely response to the publication in the media. Today we need to create a stable form of the work, where person from the senior management departments would be responsible.

Kudaibergen Bazarbaev, Minister of Social Development of the Kyrgyz Republic:

- Latest article, relating to our activities, is the publication in one of the news sites. It didn't criticize our ministry, but told the story of 19-year-old boy from Sokuluk area, who became an invalid a year ago. He comes from a poor family, the mother is a teacher, raises children alone, they don't have own property, so, a room in a local hospital was allocated to them. The guy can start walking again, but the family has no financial opportunities. The same day I called the rehabilitation center in Vorontsovka, and then to the mother. And now we put him on the rehabilitation for free, then we plan to allocate a ticket to the sanatorium.

Editorial note: We were pleased that many officials declare full readiness to work with the media and to respond to any materials, including critical. But in reality, not everyone share their position: two written requests from 24.kgnews agency in the name of the Ministry of Health Care and the State Agency for Regulation of Energy still remain unanswered. Despite assurances of the Vice Prime Minister for Economy and Investment Valery Dil, who at the board of the Ministry of Energy promised affect the head of last Nurbek Elebaev. But officials of Ministry of Health Care, probably hasn't decided "what to write on the request." Soon it will be a month of silence...