Residents of the Kostanay region have expressed approval of the transition to a single time zone UTC+5. This became known during a working trip by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Olzhas Bektenov, to the region.
It is reported that, according to local residents, the issue of switching to a single time zone had been raised by them previously, as the previous time regime did not correspond to natural biorhythms.
The Prime Minister emphasised that the decision to change was based on serious scientific research, including the work of American scientists who were awarded the Nobel Prize in 2017 for their study of human circadian rhythms.
‘It has been scientifically proven that it is most beneficial for a person to live in accordance with natural time. That is why progressive countries of the world are striving to switch to a natural time zone.’, noted Olzhas Bektenov.
He reminded that previously Kazakhstan was administratively moved to the UTC+6 zone, which was not natural for the country.
The head of government acknowledged that adapting to the new time may cause temporary discomfort, but emphasised the flexibility of existing labour legislation, which allows regions to adjust working schedules independently.
‘If there are any inconveniences in the regions, we need to work on the infrastructure, lighting, and the organisation of flexible schedules. We will continue to address all these issues,’ the Prime Minister assured.
During the working trip, the Prime Minister also visited a number of industrial enterprises in the region, where he discussed with workers the prospects for socio-economic development, issues of building human resources capacity, and solving infrastructure challenges ahead of the Year of Working Professions.
It is worth reminding that in the autumn of 2023, during a plenary session, Majilis deputy Yerkin Abil proposed switching Kazakhstan to a single time zone. On 19 January, changes were made to a government decree, according to which, from 1 March, a single time zone UTC +5 came into effect across the country.
Later, some Kazakhstanis began to advocate for the return of the previous time, and a petition calling for the abolition of the single time zone in Kazakhstan gathered 50,000 signatures. One of the reasons for collecting signatures was public concern about a possible increase in electricity costs during the winter period.
In early September, Minister of Trade and Integration Arman Shakkaliyev stated] that options for changing the time could only be considered by the authorities after studies which may take 3 years.