Parliament Supports Temporary Suspension of Cremation Permits Until 2040

Kyrgyzstan's parliament has approved a temporary halt to the legal provision that permits cremation, extending the moratorium until January 1, 2040. This decision was made during a meeting of the Committee on Labor, Social Security, Migration, and Health.

The initiative to suspend Article 24 of the law "On Funeral Services and Ritual Works," which allows for the construction of crematoriums, was put forth by the State Agency for Civil Service and Local Self-Government Affairs. According to Deputy Director Baktygul Usenalieva, the primary reasons for this suspension include the absence of necessary infrastructure in Kyrgyzstan, a lack of identified funding sources, and unresolved environmental, sanitary, and socio-cultural considerations.

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The temporary suspension of this norm until January 1, 2040, is proposed.

Furthermore, the country currently lacks qualified specialists who could operate crematoriums. The proposed temporary suspension aims to address these deficiencies and allow for the development of a more comprehensive approach to integrating cremation practices in the future, while also resolving existing legal ambiguities.

Lawmakers have passed the bill in its third reading. The initiators emphasize that this decision is intended to eliminate legal loopholes and facilitate a thorough examination of the feasibility and implications of cremation in Kyrgyzstan before its potential introduction.

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The main reasons for the temporary suspension: Kyrgyzstan lacks the necessary infrastructure; funding sources have not been identified; environmental, sanitary, and socio-cultural aspects have not been regulated; there are no specialists who can work in crematoriums.