Erbolat Asqarbekūly Dossaev (, ; born 21 May 1970) is a Kazakh politician serving as an äkım of Almaty since 31 January 2022. Prior to that, he was a National Bank of Kazakhstan chairman from 25 February 2019 and served as a Deputy Prime Minister from 29 August 2017 to 25 February 2019. He served as the Minister of Finance from 16 June 2003 to 5 April 2005, headed the Agency for Regulating Natural Monopolies, and later as the Health Minister from 5 April 2004 to 20 September 2006. In January 2013, Dossaev was appointed head of a reorganized Minister of National Economy.
Early life and education
Dossaev graduated from both the Almaty Energy Institute and Moscow State Technical University.
Political career
In the late 1990's, Dossaev served as First Deputy Minister of Energy, Industry and Trade. In 1998, Dossaev worked as an advisor to the prime minister. As of 2000, Dossaev was serving as deputy finance minister. In 2001, Dossaev became chairman of the board of the Development Bank of Kazakhstan. As of November 2002, Dossaev served as chairman of Kazakhstan's anti-trust agency.
In November 2012, Dossaev joined the ruling Nur Otan party, upon which his membership card was presented by his Economic Development and Trade Minister Bakhytzhan Sagintayev.
Minister of Finance (2003–2004) In June 2003, Dossaev was appointed as Finance Minister by President Nursultan Nazarbayev. During his time, Dossaev also held positions with the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development and the board of the National Bank of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Minister of Healthcare (2004–2006) In 2005, Dossaev outlined a plan to improve Kazakhstan's public health system. His four main goals were to increase life expectancy, reduce both maternal and infant mortality, reduce the prevalence of tuberculosis and HIV, and improve basic medical services. On 18 September 2006, Dossaev announced a plan to spend the equivalent of US$53 million from 2006 to 2010 to fight HIV and AIDS.
Dossaev announced on 20 March 2006 that tests had confirmed that a dead swan found in Mangystau Region, on Kazakhstan's Caspian Sea coast, had bird flu. Several areas in northern Kazakhstan were quarantined in 2005 when the H5N1 bird flu strain was found. Thousands of domestic fowl were culled when bird was detected in Kazakhstan in August. Agriculture Minister Asylbek Kozhimuratov said that all domestic poultry in Mangystau had been vaccinated. Fowl in Atyrau province, a location of suspected vulnerability to bird flu, were being vaccinated. The Kazakh government started vaccinating about 8 million fowl in February to limit the spread of bird flu.
Dossaev was dismissed as Healthcare Minister amid scandal after 81 children in south Kazakhstan were infected with HIV due to poor sanitary conditions.
Minister of National Economy (2012–2016) Dossaev was appointed to head the Economic Development Ministry in September 2012.
As the Minister of Economic Affairs, Dossaev oversaw a project to expand the production capacity of TengizChevroi (TCO), Kazakhstan's largest oil producer. In late December 2015, Dossaev informed the parliament that he expected the project to cost US$30 billion. Officials had announced early the same year that they were working with TCO to lower the cost from an estimated US$38 billion. The aim of the project is to increase oil production from 27 million tonnes in 2015 to 38 million tonnes by 2021.
In late 2015, Dossaev announced numerous agricultural reforms including changes to farm subsidies, improved crop insurance, and the introduction of electronic receipts designed to make the grain industry more efficient and profitable. Dossaev said, "The agrarian sector should become one of the key drivers of future economic growth in Kazakhstan. Throughout 2016, drawing the experience of Australia and Brazil … the main focus of the development of agriculture will be stimulated by the creation of infrastructure and the integration of new technologies." His proposals were made amid an economic slowdown due to low oil prices; as the Kazakh government responded with measures designed to diversify the country's economy.
Dossaev has advocated reducing government interference in the economy. In February 2016 he stated, "As concerns issues related to the state's large share in the economy: you know about this, the work on privatization and denationalization starts in March, and the goal set to us by the president is to reduce the government sector's presence in the economy to 15% by 2020. Therefore, the government, and also the national holdings and companies, are working today to prepare for privatization and denationalization."