The Ministry of Trade and Integration of Kazakhstan has decided to reject the citizens' petition "Return the Time Back." This decision was announced by the head of the department, Arman Shakkaliev, Kazakhstani media reports.
"Based on all the arguments and recommendations, and most importantly, considering the lack of scientifically substantiated data on the negative consequences of the time change, the Ministry of Trade and Integration has decided to deny the petition," said the minister. "Dear citizens, we are confident that the decision made is balanced and justified."
Shakkaliev stated that the time zone UTC+5 corresponds to the natural solar cycles in most of Kazakhstan, which "is confirmed by scientific data and recommendations from the Ministry of Health."
"In the long term, the current time zone will positively affect the health of our citizens, as their biological rhythms will be better aligned with the natural day-night cycle," the minister added, noting that the adaptation period may take some time.
Shakkaliev, along with representatives of state bodies who participated in the public discussion of the petition on Friday, mentioned that only five months have passed since the time change, and it is too early to draw any conclusions about the impact on public health.
Recall that on the night of February 29 to March 1, Kazakhstan switched to a single time zone UTC+5. Previously, the country operated in two time zones: UTC+5 and UTC+6. In the 20th century, there was a period when the country was divided into four time zones, with two zones established in 2000.
CentralasianLIGHT.org
August 5, 2024