DistantNews
🇰🇬 Kyrgyzstan /Economy & Trade

Kyrgyz Parliament Debates Shifting State Property Auction Notices from Newspapers to Online Platforms

From 24.kg · (2d ago) Russian

Translated from Russian, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

TLDR

  • Kyrgyzstan's State Agency for Management of State Property (GOSIM) proposes changes to the privatization law.
  • The proposed changes include mandatory publication of property sale announcements on official websites and the unified e-services portal, in addition to newspapers.
  • The agency aims to reduce costs, citing a recent newspaper announcement that cost 70,000 Kyrgyz soms.

A debate is brewing within the Kyrgyz Parliament's committee on finance, budget, entrepreneurship, and competition regarding proposed amendments to the law on privatization. The State Agency for Management of State Property (GOSIM) is pushing for a revision that would broaden the scope of publicizing property auctions, mandating their appearance not only in print media but also on official internet resources and the Unified State Portal of Electronic Services.

We paid 70,000 soms for just one announcement.

— Dinara ErkinbaevaDinara Erkinbaeva, deputy director of the state agency, cited the high cost of publishing in a newspaper as a reason for shifting to online platforms.

This initiative, according to GOSIM deputy director Dinara Erkinbaeva, is primarily driven by a desire to cut costs. She pointed to a recent electronic auction announcement published in the official newspaper "Erkin-Too," which incurred a hefty 70,000 Kyrgyz soms for a single advertisement. Erkinbaeva argues that shifting towards digital platforms will significantly reduce these expenses.

However, the proposal has met with divided opinions among the deputies. Some argue that traditional newspapers are losing readership and are therefore an outdated medium for such announcements. They believe that focusing on online platforms is more practical and cost-effective in today's digital age. Conversely, other deputies maintain that print media still holds relevance for a segment of the population and that completely abandoning it would be a disservice, leaving some citizens uninformed.

Printed newspapers are read by practically no one today.

— Unnamed DeputyOne deputy argued that newspapers are no longer an effective medium for reaching the public.

From a Kyrgyz perspective, this discussion touches upon the practicalities of government transparency and efficiency in the digital era. While the push for online publication is understandable given the cost savings and wider reach potential, the counterarguments highlight the digital divide that may still exist in parts of the country. The debate reflects a common challenge faced by governments globally: how to balance the adoption of new technologies with the need to ensure that all citizens, regardless of their internet access, remain informed about important public matters like the privatization of state assets. The 24.kg news agency is reporting on this discussion, providing a platform for these differing viewpoints to be aired.

Others, on the contrary, noted that they continue to read them, and refusal is a personal responsibility.

— Unnamed DeputyAnother deputy countered that newspapers are still read by some, and it's an individual's choice to seek information.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by 24.kg in Russian. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

More Stories

From Our Blog