An Overall Assessment ofLocal Government Finances

290 Meruert Makhmutova

Oblast akims;their deputies;and akims ofcities,rural settlements,and auls are recognized as political civil servants at the regional level.The grounds and the procedure for dismissal ofa political civil servant are defined by the president.Akims ofoblasts and ofAlmaty and Astana,akims ofcities and rayons,and akims ofcity rayons are assigned to their positions by akims of higher ranks,as agreed upon with the president and the prime minister.Dismissal ofdeputies ofoblast akims and akims ofcities and rayons is carried out only after coordination with the chiefofthe president’s administration and government.

All the other positions in the executive department are recognized as administrative,and they make up some 96 to 97 percent ofthe total number ofcivil servants.Administrative civil servants are divided into A,B,C,D, and E categories.Local-level administrative civil servants are in category D ifthey work for agencies oflocal government departments and category E if they work for local executive bodies (Baimenov 2000).Mandatory competition has been introduced for entrance to and promotion in the administrative civil service.This condition is aimed at allowing citizens to exercise the right to equal access to civil service employment.

The competition is conducted by a public agency that has a vacant position or by the Agency for Civil Service in an open or closed form,after the competition is advertised in the national media.Any citizen ofthe country may take part in an open competition.Only administrative employees are admitted to closed competitions.

In the case ofthe maslikhats,the activities ofcivil servants are carried out in compliance with the Law on Civil Service.The activities ofcivil servants are not terminated even ifthe term ofoffice ofthe maslikhat is terminated or new deputies are selected.This procedure ensures organizational,legal,logistical,and other support for the maslikhat and its agencies. It renders assistance to deputies in discharging their commissions.The maslikhat is a public institution,financed from the local budget.Limits on the number ofits public service staffmembers are established in accordance with the number ofdeputies—a proportion ofone employee for every three to seven deputies.

An Overall Assessment ofLocal Government Finances

The operating system oflocal finances does not create incentives for accountability for ensuring local public services.Local authorities are accountable only to higher government bodies and do not actually depend on the opinion ofcitizens.Actually,akims who allow an offense or are