The administration
The Government of the Irad Special Economic Zone is led by the Governor and the Lieutenant Governor. The Lieutenant Governor chairs the cabinet of ministers and heads of departments. Ministries and departments are listed below with their heads where appointed.
Office of the Governor
Governor
Erlan Toktarov
Head of the executive. On extended health retreat since July 2024.
Lieutenant Governor
Aidar Maksat
Chairs the cabinet and the ISEZ Security Council; conducts the day-to-day business of government.
Investment Promotion Office
Kirill Zhdanov
Single counter for foreign investors; keeps the register of investment agreements.
Public Integrity Commission
Established 2014
Investigates misconduct by public officials and agrees settlements.
External Relations Office
Office of the Lieutenant Governor
Trade offices abroad; liaison with UNMI and the bodies of the 2007 ceasefire and the Naryn Protocol.
Rural Development Fund
Office of the Lieutenant Governor
Co-finances small enterprises in the districts: workshops, small hydro stations, processing lines.
Ministries and departments
Ministry of Internal Security
Deputy minister for the southern districts: Jenishbek Tursunaliev
Police detachments in the six districts, the Republican Gendarmerie, passports and residence registration, the Corrections Directorate.
Ministry of Natural Resources
Minister: Chingiz Asanov
Mining concessions and ore licensing, water plans, rangers and protected areas, crop production.
Ministry of Economy
Economic policy, the register of firms, trade licensing; the Talas Basin Agricultural Directorate.
Ministry of Health
Hospitals and polyclinics with the city governments; emergency treatment is free.
Department of Public Information
Government press office; registration of publishers and printers; performance and screening permits.
Department of Infrastructure and Communications
Roads, telecommunications regulation and the e-Irad public services portal.
Department of Energy
Energy policy; owner of Iradenergo.
Department of Education
Curriculum section: Dinara Seitkulova
Public schools, the school building programme and textbooks.
Heritage Department
Protected monuments and open-air museums, including Rabat-i-Safed; excavation permits.
Agencies and services
Republican Gendarmerie
Commander: Maj. Gen. Ruslan Toktarov
The Qara-Chik line checkpoints, the Border Demarcation Brigade, the Highway Patrol Corps and the Special Protective Service.
State Defense Corps
The armed forces of the ISEZ, formed in July 2007.
Customs Service
Deputy director: Anvar Sultanbekov
Customs posts at the frontier crossings; the Talas Customs Clearance Terminal.
Territorial Statistics Office
Director: Gulbarchyn Ryskulova
Official statistics; the 2018 census and the 2026 census of business entities.
Irad Foreign Trade Escrow Authority
Supervises export escrow accounts and deducts royalties (1994).
Talas River Hydrological Monitoring Service
River gauges, the glacier inventory and the basin forecasts for each irrigation season.
National Equestrian Sports Directorate
Traditional horse sports, the Irad State Hippodrome and the pari-mutuel tote.
State Archives of Irad
Archive fonds since the Kokand charters; legal deposit numbers for publications.
Attorney General
Criminal prosecutions and applications to the courts on behalf of the Government.
Independent institutions
Bank of Irad
Chairman: Azamat Temirov · Deputy chairman: Ermek Sadykbekov
Issues the som under currency-board rules, at 8.40 to the US dollar since 17 March 2008; supervises banks.
Territorial Legislature (Mejlis)
Speaker: Nurbek Sultanov
60 members elected for four years in eight constituencies. Legislative Hall, Talas.
Supreme Court of Irad
Five justices
Hall of Justice, Liberty Boulevard, Talas. Register of pending cases published online since October 2026.
Territorial Election Commission
Seven members
Voter registers, registration of candidates and results. Next general election: 2 November 2027.
State enterprises
Iradenergo
State joint-stock company (2008): Toktogul and the Naryn cascade, the high-voltage grid, the National Dispatch Centre; Talas and Nurzhan Electric Networks.
Irad Pochtasy
State postal enterprise (2008): about 190 post offices, pensions and allowances at the counter, money orders. Head office: Talas Central Post Office.
Iradstrakh
State Insurance Company of Irad: compulsory motor third-party policies, property, crop and livestock insurance; about 60 offices.
Irad Temir Jolu
Railways: about 690 km of line from the Kazakh frontier through Nurzhan and Talas.
IradOne
State public broadcaster: IradOne, IradOdin and the Radio Irad network.
Ministries and departments can also be reached through their id.gov addresses. For services to the public, use e-Irad.