About special status of Batken region. Details

18:27, 04 мая 2021, Bishkek - 24.kg news agency , Tatyana KUDRYAVTSEVA

Government of Kyrgyzstan told the details of the bill on granting a special status to Batken region.

The bill was developed at the instruction of the President in order to create conditions for social and economic development of Batken region. It was posted on the official website of the Cabinet of Ministers for public discussion on April 2, 2021. Taking into account the proposals and comments received, the draft law was finalized and approved by the government decree dated May 3, 2021 No. 178 and submitted to the Parliament as urgent.

The draft law envisages:

• Strengthening the powers of the Plenipotentiary Representative of the Government in Batken region and empowering him with:
• Special functional and administrative, organizational and regulatory powers and granting a special status;
• Powers to coordinate the activities of territorial subdivisions of state bodies and local self-government bodies and to interact with law enforcement bodies, power structures.

Creation of favorable conditions for the social and economic development of the region with:

• Formation of a Coordination Council that will monitor, evaluate and control the development program;
• Concessional financing mechanisms;
• Special procedure for formation of the regional development budget;
• Introduction of a special tax regime and a special investment regime, providing for state guarantees from the government;
• Special regime for public procurement of goods and services;
• Special preferential regime for provision of state and municipal services to the population of Batken region;
• Transfer of utilities and expenses for the maintenance of buildings and premises of educational organizations and cultural facilities from local budgets to the republican budget starting from 2022.

The border conflict began on April 28 in the area of Golovnoy water distribution point. Local residents, army units and heavy weapons were involved in it. The parties finally agreed on the armistice and withdrawal of troops only on the evening of May 1.

At least 189 Kyrgyzstanis sought medical help, 36 people died, including children. More than 33,000 people have been evacuated from the conflict zone. The Tajik side unofficially reported more than 150 wounded and about 16 dead.

The Ministry of Emergency Situations reported that 120 houses and 84 social facilities had been destroyed in Kyrgyz border villages, including two schools, a village first-aid station, a kindergarten, a police station, four checkpoints, a medical center, a dental center, two pharmacies, a fire station, 27 gas filling stations, 34 retail outlets, five canteens and three banquet halls. Border outposts were also damaged. According to the Tajik side, more than 10 houses have been destroyed by fire in Khoja Alo border village.

The Prosecutor General’s Office of Kyrgyzstan assessed the actions of Tajikistan as military invasion and started pre-trial proceedings under the article «Crime against peace» of the Criminal Code of the Kyrgyz Republic.