State of nation address: Kazakh President shares his roadmap

Liaquat Ali

Islamabad: Ambassador of Kazakhstan Yerzhan Kistafin arranged a press briefing to discuss various aspects of the state of nation address of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev titled “Economic course of a Just Kazakhstan” at Islamabad Serena Hotel. The ambassador shared with the audience some salient features of the Presidential address.

Ambassador Kistafin said that the president mentioned in the address that after the spring elections, the number of parties in Parliament increased, and the composition of MPs changed significantly. The fractions representing political parties, as well as single-mandate MPs, have actively engaged in work, initiating many relevant bills and raising important issues concerning the country’s development.

Parliamentarians have also been busy during the summer months. In just two months, they visited over 1,200 settlements and met with voters to become acquainted with the situation on the ground. I express my sincere gratitude to everyone for their fruitful efforts. I am confident that the pace of work will increase even further during this new session.

The President also said that salaries of teachers have doubled since 2020. Medical professionals have also seen significant salary increases, and their incomes now exceed the national average. Citizens have been afforded the opportunity to access part of their pension savings, a move that has positively impacted the well-being of nearly one million people, enabling them to address their housing needs. Within the framework of the “Comfortable School” project, around 400 schools are slated for construction.

The president also talked about the global economy and said, it is essential to recognize that most countries are also advancing. Today, we are witnessing fundamental shifts in the global economy and the international division of labor. The pace of technological innovation is accelerating, and competition for resources is intensifying globally. Issues such as climate change, food security, and sustainable demographic development have moved to the forefront. In summary, humanity has entered a new era characterized by unprecedented challenges and radical changes.

‘The new paradigm for Kazakhstan’s economic development will hinge on the effective exploitation of our competitive advantages and the full realization of the potential of all key production factors—labor, capital, resources, and technologies.

As part of this new economic policy, we will eschew the practice of setting long-term, ephemeral goals. All objectives outlined in this Address should be accomplished within three years; for the most complex tasks, specific deadlines will be set’, he added.

He said, by the end of this year, we need to develop a comprehensive vision for industrial development. To support manufacturing, foreign and domestic investors should be exempted from taxes and other compulsory payments for the first three years of their investment. This is a fundamental issue that should give a serious boost to the manufacturing industry.

Another important issue is to fully strengthen the defense industry, which plays a key role in ensuring national security in developed countries. The most important task is to create a production cycle with a high degree of localization to reduce dependence on imported supplies. Our army should be equipped with high-tech weapons and military equipment, including armored vehicles, unmanned aerial vehicles, and modern small arms.

‘The development of nuclear power is a particularly important economic and political issue. There are different opinions on the feasibility of building a nuclear power plant in our country. On the one hand, Kazakhstan, as the world’s largest uranium producer, should have its own nuclear generation. Some experts support the idea of building plants with small reactors. On the other hand, many citizens and some experts have safety concerns about nuclear power plants’.

The international corridor known as “North-South” is another key focus, providing our country with access to the Persian Gulf ports. Incrementally, the capacity of the railroad portion of this route should be doubled. It is necessary to start the modernization of the Kazakhstan section of the “Bolashak-Chelyabinsk” railway line.

The President further said that it is important to consistently expand the direct participation of citizens in decision-making at the level of local executive authorities. For more than two years, citizens have been choosing the akims of villages, towns, and rural districts themselves. During this time, three-quarters of the akims at the rural level were elected. Now we must test the electability of district and city akims of regional significance.

The President further Political and economic reforms alone are not sufficient to build a Just Kazakhstan. First of all, a change in public consciousness and the aspirations of citizens is required; without this, all other efforts will be in vain.