First crematorium in Central Asia begins operating

The first crematorium in Kazakhstan and Central Asia began operating in late April this year, but the process for applying for cremation has not yet been regulated. Vlast reported this.

According to the report, Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development said in response to the publication’s official inquiry that cremation would be included in the state services register, but did not disclose a specific timeframe.

After the crematorium began operating, many people reported difficulties related to the procedure for applying for cremation. For example, one of the documents that must be attached to an application is the written wish of the deceased expressed during their lifetime. However, in practice, there is no unified state-approved template for such a document.

According to the Ministry of Digital Development, after cremation is included in the state services register, rules for providing the state service will be developed and approved. These rules will define the application procedure, the list of required documents, requirements for formalizing and confirming a citizen’s wish expressed during their lifetime, the timeframe for providing the state service, as well as other procedural issues related to organizing and carrying out cremation.

The ministry also said issues related to digitalizing the process would be considered, including the possibility of obtaining the service through the eGov portal.

For reference, cremation, derived from the Latin word crematio, meaning burning, is a burial practice in which the body of the deceased is reduced to ashes by burning it in special high-temperature furnaces called crematoriums.