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President Outlines Robust Social and Economic Plan for Next Decade
(State of the nation address focuses on economic development, legal reforms)
Kazakhstan’s President Nursultan Nazarbayev delivered a powerful 70-minute state-of-the-nation address on January 29, outlining his vision of the country’s development up to the year 2020.
The address, called A New Decade, a New Economic Growth, and New Opportunities for Kazakhstan, was televised live by all major TV and radio channels in the country.
The President listed major successes of the country’s 18 year history as an independent state, including the effective reaction to the world financial and economic crisis and went on to specify the 2020 Strategic Plan, dealing with issues as wide-ranging as economic diversification, education, healthcare, as well as foreign and trade policies.
The President paid special attention to the country’s OSCE chairmanship this year calling it a “great honour” and a “great responsibility.”
“The development of our country has been successful thanks to a proper planning and competent implementation of our policies,” President Nazarbayev said.
“The model of Kazakhstan’s unity was fully recognized and highly appreciated at its true value by the heads of state and leaders of world confessions. Thus, Kazakhstan has managed to become a strong and successful state and thanks to its initiatives, has reached high international standing,” he noted.
Among specific economic successes of the past decade enumerated by the President, of particular note are the doubling of the country’s GDP in 2008 compared to 2000, two years ahead of schedule; fivefold increases in monthly salaries and threefold increases in pension rates.
The share of citizens with substandard income decreased fourfold, from 50% to 12%. Basic criteria of the health of population were improved. Life expectancy increased from 65 to 68 years. Maternal mortality decreased twofold, and birthrate increased by one and a half time. A total of 652 schools and 463 facilities of healthcare have been built during the 10 years.
“Today, we have world-class medical centers, the Maternal and Child Health Center and the Institute of Neurosurgery. This year, we will commission the Cardiac Surgery Center. Medical care of Kazakhstan’s citizens is being improved across the country. Thanks to these efforts, we will save thousands of lives!” the President said.
Recognizing these developments, the UN included Kazakhstan in the ranks of countries with high index of human development in its 2009 report.
“This is an indisputable evidence of our increased welfare,” the President stressed.
In one decade, 350,000 families, approximately 1.2 people, acquired new housing. A total of 32,000 kilometers of roads were built and repaired, which equals to one third of all roads in Kazakhstan.
According to the President, “the world financial and economic crisis affected our economy’s growth rate, but failed to stop our development.” Indeed, Kazakhstan’s economy grew 1.1 percent in 2009, which is much slower than in previous years but still a positive growth.
Gross foreign currency reserves and assets of the National Fund have already exceeded 50 billion dollars, and have increased more than 25 times during the past ten years. Even though last year Kazakhstan spent some portion of funds, today the volume of the Fund exceeds the amount of last year.
The unemployment rate amounted to 6.3% which is below the rate noted at the pre-crisis period. More than 400,000 jobs were created throughout the country owing to the effectively implemented employment Strategy.
As stated by the President, in order to implement the 2020 Strategic Plan, the country will:
- prepare the economy to post-crisis development;
- achieve sustainable economic development due to expedited industrialization and infrastructure development;
- invest actively in the future in order to increase competitiveness of the human capital;
- provide Kazakhstan’s citizens with qualitative social, housing and utility services;
- strengthen the interethnic harmony, national security, and further develop international relations.
The address provided specific instructions and recommendations in all above main directions, touching upon economic diversification, attracting foreign investment, regional development, promotion of entrepreneurship and the creation of a better climate for businesses. For example, the President tasked the Government with reducing operational business expenses related to registration and business operations by 30% by 2011 and by another 30% by 2015.
A huge deal of specific attention was paid to human development, including ways to provide better healthcare, education, and care for the elderly.
The President announced plans to provide financial support to veterans of the Great Patriotic War in celebration of the 65th anniversary of the V-day, as well as plans to further raise pensions and salaries to public employees by 25 percent this year.
On more than one occasion, the President stressed the importance of national unity, a more robust political dialogue and the preservation inter-ethnic harmony in a multi-ethnic country.
Having criticized the existing criminal system as too repressive and failing to rehabilitate former criminals who had served their time in prison, the President called for further humanization of the criminal system and a reform of law enforcement agencies.
Turning to international affairs, the President said Kazakhstan “will pursue an active, pragmatic and balanced foreign policy aimed at ensuring national interests, increasing the international prestige of our country and strengthening national, regional and global security.”
“Kazakhstan’s high international reputation allowed our country to become the chairman of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe. It is a great honour for us. It brings the highest responsibility of chairing the OSCE during the most complicated period of modern history of mankind.
The OSCE with its unique geographic structure of participants, including 56 states located on three continents, with a wealth of experience on interaction of the states, is “one of key mechanisms of international security and co-operation,” the Kazakh leader said.
“We have already outlined out vision of the chairmanship in the OSCE. Therefore, I will not go into details. Kazakhstan’s chairmanship in the most authoritative organization for security will have the motto, “Trust. Traditions. Transparency. Tolerance,” the President told his nation.
“Jointly, we will search for common ways of tackling many pressing problems, develop joint mechanisms for prevention of possible crisis situations. We intend to expand and strengthen the consensus on basic security issues, as well as concerning development of the Organization itself,” he stressed.
“We will do everything it takes to make the OSCE a structure recognizing diversity of the world of the 21st century. Many OSCE Participating States supported plans of Kazakhstan, as well as my proposal for holding an OSCE Summit in Astana this year. I suggested discussing actual problems related to security in the area of the OSCE, the situation in Afghanistan and tolerance issues at the Summit. Our Chairmanship in the OSCE will be aimed at development of security and prosperity of the people all over the world,” the President underscored.
Turning to the overall 2020 Strategic Plan, the President said: “We want to see our own future bright. We must take on extra work and roll up our sleeves.”
For the full text of the speech please click here.
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