How digital platforms are transforming public administration in Kazakhstan

Obtaining an official certificate via a smartphone, submitting an appeal to an akimat, or obtaining a business permit - digital interaction with the state has become part of everyday life for people in Kazakhstan. The transformation is now affecting government institutions themselves, including shared infrastructure, data exchange, and decision-making processes. In this article El.kz examines the platforms enabling this transition, what is already operational, and what determines its practical impact.

Public services move to smartphones

The scale of the transformation is clearly reflected in e-government statistics. According to data published by National Information Technologies JSC in late December 2025, Kazakhstan citizens had received more than 51.5 million public services online since the beginning of the year. Almost half of these services were accessed through eGov Mobile. The application’s monthly active user base reached 6.4 million people. The same announcement stated that approximately 90 percent of public services were available online. Among the most frequently used services were voluntary refusal of bank loans and microcredits, criminal record certificates, and information on registration actions involving legal entities.

For users, the benefits of this format are tangible: fewer trips, shorter queues, and less dependence on office hours. However, a mobile application is only the visible part of the system. For an application to result in a completed document or an approved payment, information must be exchanged between government agencies, while responsible officials must make and implement the relevant decision.

QazTech consolidates the technological foundation

The next stage is associated with QazTech, a shared development environment for government digital products. At a government meeting on 11 August 2026, it was reported that government agencies would transition to the platform from 1 April. At the same time, the migration of existing systems is continuing under a two-year plan: 39 systems are scheduled to be migrated in 2026, while ten were already fully operational on the platform.

The logic of a platform-based approach can be illustrated by a simple example. If several government agencies record the same address or an applicant’s status differently, citizens have to deal with discrepancies between records. Common technical standards and coordinated data exchange should reduce such situations. However, shared infrastructure alone cannot correct an error in an underlying record: responsibility for the accuracy of information remains with the data owner.

The transition also requires procedures to be redesigned. Following the results of 2025, the relevant ministry reported the approval of 20 digital transformation roadmaps covering 72 areas of economic and social activity. Their purpose is to link the introduction of technology with changes in business processes. For citizens, the impact will become apparent when unnecessary approvals or repeated requests for documents already held by the state are eliminated.

Data becomes a management instrument

A separate function is performed by Smart Data Ukimet. The project description on the website of the Eurasian Economic Commission presents the platform as a big-data environment for analysing government activities, developing forecasts, and modelling socio-economic processes. Results can be presented through tables, charts, and analytical dashboards.

Such a tool makes it possible to use data to address management questions: where demand for public services is increasing, how regions differ, and what consequences a particular policy scenario may have. However, the existence of a chart does not in itself demonstrate that a decision is sound. Meaningful analysis requires comparable indicators, a transparent methodology for their calculation, and data that are updated in a timely manner.

Social assistance can be offered proactively

One of the clearest examples of the use of inter-agency data is the Digital Family Map. The project, implemented by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population and the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), uses information from government systems to identify social risks and offer support to people who may be eligible for it. Some services are provided proactively, without requiring individuals to submit a separate application for each service.

A UNDP publication describes interaction among more than 20 government agencies and the use of more than 100 socio-economic indicators. This information helps assess a family’s circumstances. The sequence of interaction is therefore changing: the government gains the ability to proactively offer available assistance to a person who may not have been aware of their eligibility.

Businesses gain an end-to-end digital route

For businesses, the transition to platforms is particularly visible in licensing and permitting procedures. According to eGov.kz, more than 1.5 million public services were delivered through eLicense.kz during the first half of 2025. The portal brings together electronic licensing and the issuance of permits.

The value of an end-to-end digital process for businesses lies in predictability. Entrepreneurs need to understand in advance the documentary requirements and the sequence in which an application will be processed. When a procedure is clearly defined and does not require the repeated submission of the same information, it becomes easier to plan project implementation and associated costs. However, transferring an application form to a website provides limited benefits if unnecessary approval procedures remain behind it.

Appeals and public consultation move online

The digitalisation of public administration also affects mechanisms for citizen feedback. Through eOtinish, individuals can submit an official appeal to a government agency and challenge its response. The platform covers issues related to housing and utilities, communications, land, education, social payments, and other areas. Appeals can be submitted through digital channels, while assistance with filing them is available at Nәтиже centres located within Public Service Centres.

Another mechanism for public participation is the Open NPA portal. Draft regulatory legal acts are published there for public consultation. Users can review proposed regulations and submit comments before a document is adopted. This gives citizens and professional communities an opportunity to identify issues at the policy-development stage.

These instruments serve different purposes: an appeal enables an individual to raise a specific issue with a government agency, while public consultation provides an opportunity to comment on a proposed rule. Their effectiveness should be assessed by the substance of the responses and the government’s reaction to well-founded comments. The number of submissions alone does not indicate how effectively the government has taken applicants’ concerns into account.

AI simplifies access to public services

The eGov GPT service, launched in April 2026, selects and initiates public services based on a text description of a life situation. At launch, the assistant provided access to 50 high-demand services, which accounted for approximately 30 percent of citizen requests. Expanding coverage to 70 percent by the end of the year was identified as a target.

For users, this makes it possible to describe their needs in ordinary language without knowing the official name of the relevant service. However, conversational convenience must be accompanied by transparency: users need to understand what information has been used, what exactly is being submitted to the government agency, and where assistance is available if an error occurs. The more actions are automated, the more important it becomes to retain clear human confirmation.

Outcomes should be measured by issues resolved

The gap between digital submission and actual service delivery remains a practical challenge. At the same government meeting in August, it was reported that approximately 3,000 applications for connection to utility networks and for obtaining technical specifications had remained with natural monopolies for more than three months, despite a statutory timeframe of five working days.

This example demonstrates why the transition to digital platforms cannot be assessed solely by the number of services available online. What matters is the time required to reach a final outcome, the proportion of repeat applications, the ability to correct inaccurate data, and the availability of user support. Data protection is another important consideration: integrating information across systems requires clearly defined access controls and oversight of activities involving personal data.

Access to the internet also remains a prerequisite for participation in the digital system. Following the results of 2025, the ministry reported that 274 villages had been connected to 4G and outlined plans to further expand high-speed connectivity. Full coverage of settlements by the end of 2027 was identified as a target. Maintaining in-person assistance is therefore particularly important in areas where connectivity is unreliable or where individuals may have difficulty using digital applications.

Kazakhstan already has several complementary digital government instruments: electronic public services, a shared development environment, analytical platforms, and channels for citizen feedback. The next stage of this transition should be reflected in people’s everyday experience when government agencies coordinate their actions, errors can be corrected without requiring citizens to visit multiple offices, and an application results in a clear decision within the prescribed timeframe.