ASTANA – For President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev’s one-year tenure, significant changes have unfolded, leaving an impact on the country’s socio-political and economic life, wrote Maulen Ashimbayev, Chairperson of the Senate, the upper chamber of the Kazakh Parliament on his Facebook page on Nov. 26.
Ashimbayev highlighted a comprehensive overhaul of all government branches and significant steps taken to democratize the political system. He emphasized strengthened checks and balances, reinforced regional autonomy, and the initiation of administrative reform.
Elections for the Mazhilis (lower chamber of the Kazakh Parliament) and maslikhats (local representative bodies) at all levels have been conducted based on the updated electoral system and other political reforms.
Regarding social initiatives, Ashimbayev pointed to adopting the Social Code to enhance the effectiveness of social policy. Ongoing projects such as Comfortable School, Rural Healthcare Development, and Aul Amanat contribute to improving citizens’ well-being. Payments under the presidential program National Fund – for Children are set to commence at the beginning of next year.
He also highlighted achievements in building a just economic system, including a rigorous fight against monopolies and corruption, resulting in the recovery of illegal assets totaling 1 trillion tenge ($ 2,173,913,043) and approximately 8 million hectares of unused land.
“There continues to be an active influx of foreign investments into the country’s economy. External trade is increasing. Thanks to the measures taken, economic growth at 5% is expected by the end of 2023,” he wrote.
While acknowledging achievements over the past year, Asimbayev emphasized the work ahead. The president has set the task of doubling the country’s gross domestic product to $450 billion by 2029. Strategic tasks include economic diversification, the development of processing industries, increased productivity in agriculture, infrastructure modernization nationwide, and further improvement of citizen’s well-being.
Ashimbayev underscored the importance of citizens’ continued consolidation around Tokayev’s policies for successfully addressing these tasks. He believes these goals can be achieved through collective efforts to build a just, renewed, inclusive, and democratic Kazakhstan.