NUR-SULTAN – The Institute of Economics and Peace (IEP) placed Kazakhstan 70th in the Global Peace Index (GPI) ranking, the world’s leading measure of global peacefulness, inform.kz reported.
Kazakhstan’s flag. Photo credit: 24.kz.
“Kazakhstan entered the list of states with a fairly reliable level of security, taking 70th place out of 163. Kazakhstan according to these findings came out on top among the CIS (The Commonwealth of Independent States) countries, which positively characterizes the work of the state law enforcement system,” Internal Affairs Minister Yerlan Turgumbayev said at the Oct. 29 expanded meeting of the board of the Kazakh Ministry of Internal Affairs.
Turgumbayev stressed that the Global Peace Index is an authoritative rating that assesses indicators such as the level of internal security, social stability, and public order.
Although Kazakhstan lost a few positions compared to its spot in GPI 2019, the country still leads in security in the post-Soviet space. The top three also included Moldova (71st), and Kyrgyzstan (93rd). The IEP published the report in June before the recent unrest in Kyrgyzstan.
Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed praise for the work of the internal affairs agencies during the expanded meeting. The President reviewed the activities of internal affairs bodies over the first nine months of 2020 and the execution of presidential orders.
L-R: Internal Affairs Minister Yerlan Turgumbayev and Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev during the Oct. 29 expanded meeting of the board of the Kazakh Ministry of Internal Affairs. Photo credit: Akorda press service.
“Preserving the stability of the state and the unity of society is the main task. At such moments, much depends on the professional level of police officers, their spirit of patriotism and dedication to their work. I believe that all employees of the Internal Affairs bodies understand this,” Tokayev addressed the meeting.
Tokayev called the Internal Affairs agencies to keep improving and modernizing the system. The President urged the police to open a dialogue between Internal Affairs agencies and citizens. President Tokayev raised the issue of continuing structural reforms. He also stressed the need to digitalize police activities, strengthen the fight against drug trafficking, and improve the state of the national penitentiary system.
Kazakhstan supports its law enforcement officers with more than 15 billion tenge (US$34.56 million) annually for housing compensation. The government will allocate an additional 10 billion tenge starting Jan. 1, 2021. The additional financial support will cover more than 8,000 people working at duty stations, guard services, specialized security organizations, departmental educational institutions, and the criminal enforcement system.
The President instructed the government to increase the salaries of law enforcement officers by 30 percent within three years.
Tokayev also stressed the importance of police work during the pandemic. The government allocated 6.6 billion tenge (US$15.21 million) as bonuses for frontline law enforcement employees who fought during the first wave of the pandemic. The employees will receive an additional 11.5 billion tenge (US$26.5 million) by the end of 2020.
“After all, today your work depends not only on the safety of our citizens, but also on their health and well-being. Therefore, in this difficult time, the state will support all those who fight the pandemic,” the President said.
Tokayev also announced that on the occasion of the 30th anniversary of Kazakhstan’s Independence in 2021, the government will grant an amnesty to people brought to criminal responsibility for crimes that do not pose a serious threat to the security of citizens and the state as a whole.
