"Initiators of the change": Do residents of Kostanay region want to revert to the previous time zone?

During a briefing at the Central Communications Service, the akim of Kostanay region commented on how residents responded to the time change and whether they are requesting a return to the previous time zone, as reported by NUR.KZ correspondent.

https://www.nur.kz/politics/kazakhstan/2203689-byli-iniciatorami-perevoda-hotyat-li-zhiteli-kostanayskoy-oblasti-vernut-prezhniy-chasovoy-poyas/2024-12-24 08:27:36

"The Kostanay region was one of the initiators of the time change; I believe the decision was made correctly. At least, I haven't received any negative feedback from businesses or the population indicating a need to revert."

"Personally, I also feel that we are living in a more appropriate time; we go to bed earlier and wake up earlier. We do not see any disruptions in the economy either, but it takes time to draw conclusions," - stated Akim Kumar Aksakalov.

Regarding the increase in electricity consumption due to the time change, the Akim of the Kostanay region added that "a cycle must pass" before we can measure the previous and current consumption.

Transition to a Unified Time Zone in Kazakhstan

Starting from March 1, a unified time zone UTC+5 became effective across the country.

During this transition, many citizens faced issues: people complained that the automatic adjustment of their gadgets did not work.

Additionally, some Kazakhstani individuals found that their birth dates changed in digital documents. The National Information Technologies JSC explained why this occurred.

At the end of February, doctors reported that the transition to a unified time might affect the biorhythms of residents, but the adaptation period would only take a day.

Many Kazakhstani citizens criticized the shift to a unified time, citing inconvenience and disruptions to their bodies.

On June 7, a petition proposing to cancel the time change in Kazakhstan collected 50,000 votes from citizens and was accepted for review by government bodies.

During public hearings on the petition "Return the Time Back," scientific evidence regarding the transition to UTC+5 was presented, including assessments of its impact on the health of Kazakhstani citizens. According to Almagul Kauysheva, the director of the Department of Science and Human Resources at the Ministry of Health, improvements in terms of reducing illness among people are already noticeable.

At the beginning of September, the Minister of Trade and Integration announced that there are no plans to change the time zone in Kazakhstan in the coming years.

Recently, the Prime Minister of Kazakhstan, Olzhas Bektenov, commented on the introduction of a unified time zone in our country. The head of government visited the Kostanay region and, in a conversation with residents, highlighted that it has been scientifically proven that natural time positively influences the health and well-being of citizens.