President proposes tougher penalties for deliberate pollution of nature

Tengrinews.kz – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev proposed toughening punishment for polluting nature and public spaces. The Head of State said this while speaking at the first session of the Kazakhstan Halyk Kenesi, or People’s Council of Kazakhstan, in Astana.
According to the President, one of the main tasks of the third sector should be to establish the principles of “Law and Order,” cleanliness and careful treatment of nature in society.

“Unfortunately, we still encounter cases of lack of culture, deliberate pollution of nature and public spaces. I believe it would be right to toughen punishment for such antisocial and anti-state acts,” Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.

The President called the Taza Qazaqstan initiative a philosophy of responsible human attitude toward the environment, an indicator of civic maturity and an important criterion of a civilized state.

“It is now necessary to take measures so that, along with our traditional advantages — hospitality and safety — cleanliness in all its diversity becomes a national brand of our country,” the Head of State noted.

According to Tokayev, visitors to Kazakhstan already note the high quality of the urban environment, which increases the country’s tourism and investment attractiveness. Now these results need to be scaled up, and the Taza Qazaqstan initiative should be filled with new content, ideas and projects.
The President admitted that citizens have probably already noticed his special attention to issues of cleanliness and order.

“You have probably already noticed my ‘fixation’ on issues of cleanliness, order and love for nature. But in this matter, we truly cannot stop or relax under any circumstances,” Tokayev said.

The Head of State emphasized that this is not only about urban improvement, but also about changing public consciousness.

“We are changing for the better not only the appearance of cities and the entire country, but, more importantly, the mentality of the nation. From indifference, apathy and even aggression, we are gradually moving toward cleanliness, responsibility and careful treatment of nature,” the President added.

Kassym-Jomart Tokayev also linked the state of the urban environment with people’s behavior and compliance with the law.

“Where it is clean and bright, a person behaves politely and decently. Where unsanitary conditions and mismanagement prevail, apathy and legal nihilism arise. This is the ‘broken windows’ effect, well known in global urban studies. Therefore, the concept of Taza Qazaqstan and the principle of ‘Law and Order’ are two parts of one whole. It is impossible to demand compliance with the law in conditions of chaos and disorder,” the Head of State emphasized.

The President also noted that mass greening, maintaining cleanliness and observing the principle of “Law and Order” are tasks of national importance.