Official portraitOffice of the Governor
Aidar Maksat
Lieutenant Governor of the Irad Special Economic Zone since 25 November 2019. Chairs the cabinet and the ISEZ Security Council.
| Born | 3 November 1980, Kobozev (now Nurzhan) |
|---|---|
| Education | Nurzhan Polytechnic Institute, civil engineering (2002); London School of Economics, MSc in public policy and administration (2005) |
| Party | Democratic Party of Irad |
| Family | Married to Zara Toktarova; three children |
| Languages | Iradi, English, Russian |
Responsibilities
The Lieutenant Governor coordinates the ministries and departments, prepares the budget and leads the ISEZ's commercial negotiations, including transit and customs arrangements with neighbouring states. He represents the ISEZ in matters arising under the Naryn Water and Power Protocol. Since July 2024 he has conducted the day-to-day business of government on the Governor's instructions.
Career
Aidar Maksat grew up in the works settlement of the Chatkal Antimony Processing Mill, where his father was chief metallurgist and his mother taught chemistry. After graduating from the Nurzhan Polytechnic Institute he studied in London on a territorial scholarship.
He joined the territorial Office of Economic Planning in 2005, working on partnerships for public utilities, and became deputy head of the Talas city utilities department in 2007. From 2009 to 2016 he was Director-General of Infrastructure Development for the municipality of Talas, where he directed the reconstruction of the Talas Municipal Water Treatment Works and the replacement of the city's Soviet-era water mains. From 2012 to 2019 he sat on the ISEZ telecommunications regulatory board, and in 2016 he was appointed head of the Department of Infrastructure and Communications.
He was elected Lieutenant Governor on the joint ticket in November 2019 and re-elected in 2023. His priorities include moving public services online, reliable power and transport corridors, and foreign investment on stable, contract-based terms.
The Lieutenant Governor is a keen cyclist and sits on the board of trustees of the Talas Symphony Orchestra.