According to the draft law on renaming the city of Jalal-Abad to Manas, the expenses are estimated at 15 million soms, the explanatory note to the document states.
The bill was developed to strengthen national ideology by giving the city the name of the legendary Manas — a historic figure and folk hero who defended the Kyrgyz people. The initiative originated from local residents and was supported by the City Council as well as the Presidential Envoy to Jalal-Abad region.
Jalal-Abad has a population of more than 186,400 people, and its updated General Development Plan was approved in 2023.
All expenses related to the renaming will be covered by the local budget, with no additional costs required from the national budget.
The authors of the initiative stress that the renaming will not result in negative social, economic, legal, environmental, or corruption-related consequences.
Today, the Committee on Constitutional Legislation, State Structure, Judicial and Legal Issues, and Regulations approved the draft law in all three readings.
