Baltic States – CIS, Kazakhstan
International Internet Magazine. Baltic States news & analytics
Thursday, 28.03.2024, 23:03
The new President of the Republic of Kazakhstan addressed to the nation
Kazakhstan society has been expecting the present address of
K. Tokaev with great interest. Ordinary citizens want to see how the election
promises of the new President will gain specific forms and programsб and they are looking for answers
to questions: is the new leader able to enhance population’s quality of life,
maintain and improve the state of the economy, take steps towards formation of
open civil society and democratization?
In his first message to the people of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart
Tokayev has quite clearly defined the guidelines for action for all branches
of government, each head of a state body and a state company for the coming
year. The President, highlighting the continuity of policy of the first
President Nursultan Nazarbayev, has emphasized the need to change some
approaches in work based on the principles of pragmatism and effective reforms.
The social dimension will clearly become an important
component of the policy for the new head of Kazakhstan. As such, if back in
August the instruction to double teachers' salaries within four years was
already voiced at a conference of school teachers and educators, then in the
message Tokaev has significantly extended his plans to lift the status of teachers
by adopting a bill “On the status of a pedagogue”. This is a good signal to
society because it is time not only to adequately pay for the work of teachers,
but also to return the high status of the Teacher. The republic has rather
ambitious plans to increase the expenditures on education, science and
healthcare up to 10% of GDP. Kazakhstan is reaching these indicators slowly but
systematically, and the availability of reserves in the National Bank and money
in the National Fund keeps Kazakhstan sovereign credit rating stable, which
allows us to speak with confidence about the attainability of these indicators.
The statement on ensuring the quality and accessibility of
medical services sounded no less encouraging. President Tokayev has confirmed that
the state will continue to maintain a guaranteed volume of free medical
assistance. Then again, as well as the development of the social support system,
which volume has increased by more than 17 times in the last three years.
Tokaev realizes that social reforms are impossible without a
strong and developing economy. Therefore, the head of Kazakhstan sees the basis
for the development of the country in solving economic problems. In his opinion,
the main priorities should be effectiveness, research intensity, and
digitalization.
Great hopes are associated with the agricultural sector,
which should become the driver of the entire Kazakhstan economy according to Tokaev’s
opinion. At the same time, he has confirmed once again that agricultural lands
will not be sold to foreigners. And that statement has been made with reference
to the fact that there is still the issue of unfair use, or rather non-use of land
plots by some “latifundists”. Thus, he has launched the revision of the
effective use of lands in rural areas and, at the same time, he has cooled the eagerness
of some of his opponents, who speculated on the sale of lands to the citizens
of other states.
The President’s attention to corruption-related crimes has
become a very important aspect for small and medium enterprises, because business
and society greatly suffer exactly from the consequences of corruption.
The legitimacy and inevitability of punishment, especially
for serious crimes against the person, sexual integrity, and domestic violence
have top priority in regard to relations between society and the state. The
emphasis on adding greater punitive measures for abusers is primarily an
indicator that the new President and his team clearly monitor the challenges to
society and respond to them promptly. Heinous incidents of violence against
women and children that had been made public in spring and summer were not being
left out. And now, it has been highlighted from the important rostrum that it is
necessary to increase the severity of punishment for abusers and pedophiles.
The President of Kazakhstan did not restrict himself by only
speaking about social and economic initiatives. In his message, Tokayev has reconfirmed
his commitment to liberalization in carrying out political reforms. He has stated
the necessity to develop political competition and multi-party system, public
and civil dialogue. At the same time, he has instructed the relevant structures
to improve the laws and regulations on rallies and peaceful assemblies in such
a way that, according to the Constitution, citizens could freely take part in
peaceful initiatives and express their opinion in the manner prescribed by law.
All these statements made by the head of Kazakhstan indicate
that this largest Central Asian state, rich in oil and other natural resources,
intends to not only make an economic breakthrough in the nearest future, but is
ready to make courageous moves to democratize society contrary to established
traditions. At any rate, President Tokayev’s statements give hope for such development
of events.