Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree on Wednesday replacing a number of ministers and appointing the head of the prime minister's office, Galymzhan Koishybayev, to the simultaneous post of the country's deputy prime minister.

"To appoint Koishybayev Galymzhan Telmanovich as Deputy Prime Minister - Chief of Staff of the Government of the Republic of Kazakhstan," the decree read.

Koishybayev has headed the prime minister's office since March 2019.

According to Tokayev's press office, the President also signed decrees on the appointment of new ministers of industry and infrastructure development, education, culture, and sports, as well as ecology and natural resources, 

Earlier, the Akorda press service reported that the Kazakh President signed a decree "on amendments to the Civil and Criminal Procedure Codes on harsher punishment for environmental offence and vandalism signs."

Tokayev also signed a decree "on amendments to some legislative acts of Kazakhstan on corruption control and enhancing security of persons entitled to state protection," the Akorda press service mentioned.

In late December, the Kazakh leader announced his plans to replace several ministers, stressing that the cabinet should become more efficient.

On November 20, Kazakhstan held an early presidential election, where Tokayev received 81.31% of the votes cast, at a time when the overall turnout was 69.44%.

It is noteworthy that on January 2, Tokayev signed a document on transforming the prime minister's office into a government apparatus tasked with coordinating the activities of central and local executive bodies, as well as providing organizational, legal, material, and technical support for the government's activities.

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