Serik Jumanğarin

Serık Maqaşūly Jumanğarin (, , born 22 July 1969) is a Kazakh politician, economist, and physicist, who's currently serving as the Deputy Prime Minister of Kazakhstan since September 2022 and Minister of National Economy since December 2024.

Early life and education Serik Jumanğarin was born July 22, 1969, in the city of Aktobe.

In 2005, he started his political career as the deputy head of the economy and budget planning department of the city of Aktobe, which he held until 2006. From April to December of the same year, he served as the head of the business department of Aktobe. In September of the same year, he was appointed a full-fledged deputy prime minister and minister, and was reappointed on April 3 of the following year.

On September 2, 2023, he was dismissed from the post of minister, though continued to be the Deputy Prime Minister. On 21 December 2024, Jumanğarin was appointed as the Minister of National Economy, but continued his tenure as Deputy Prime Minister, this came after the unexplained resignation of Nurlan Baibazarov from both positions.

Jumanğarin is a member of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission from Kazakhstan since 2019 and a representative of Kazakhstan in the EEC Council since 2022, a member of the Board of Directors of JSC "Khorgas" International Center for Border Cooperation, Member of the Board of Directors of the companies "QazTrade" JSC, "Center for Trade Policy Development" and the "QazExpoCongress" National Company.

Criticism and controversies

Cursing out a journalist In 2019, Jumanğarin, who was Vice Minister at that time, was filmed telling reporters not to "get on his nerves". He was criticized for this, and a few days later admitted that he "went too far with his manner of speech" and apologized.

Allegations of corruption In 2016, the "Bäse" YouTube channel headed by Aidos Sadykov accused Jumanğarin, who was the head of the Committee for Regulation of Natural Monopolies and Protection of Competition at the Ministry of National Economy at the time, of taking 10 apartments as a bribe and registering nine of them as the property of his wife. On February 22, 2023, Jumanğarin denied the allegations, calling them "slander", saying that he purchased the apartments on his own merits and did not do anything illegal. Among the participants of the forum were Serik Jumanğarin himself and Minister of Commerce and Industry of Afghanistan Nooruddin Azizi.

Locust comment When addressing the locust problem that Kazakh agrarians and farmers were facing, Serik Jumanğarin went on to note that the parasite could be consumed and was considered halal to eat. This comment sparked great controversy, as no insect has ever been part of Kazakh cuisine and the comment was taken as Jumanğarin not taking the parasite issue seriously. The words were also criticised by MP Erlan Sairov, with Sairov noting that, for farmers, locusts are no food, but parasites.

Awards, decorations and titles Jumangarin's awards include: Medal "10 years of Astana"; Medal "For Contribution to the Creation of the Eurasian Economic Union".