ASTANA – President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev kicked off the new year with an extensive interview with the Egemen Qazaqstan newspaper on Jan. 3. During the interview, he discussed key achievements from the previous year, provided insights into both domestic and foreign policies, addressed social and economic development, and outlined plans for the year 2024.
Photo credit: Akorda.
Tokayev reiterated significant events that took place in 2023, including the start of the Constitutional Court’s work, elections of deputies to the Mazhilis and maslikhats of all levels according to new rules, elections of akims (mayors) of districts, villages and cities of regional significance, as a result of which nearly 700 akims were elected.
The President emphasized that the country started building a fair and competitive economic system, addressing economic diversification and demonopolization, updating infrastructure, supporting business and attracting investment.
The crucial topics of the social sphere were consistently resolved. Construction of schools, including within the Comfortable School project, has begun throughout the country, and medical facilities are being built in villages. The country’s new Social Code aims to provide comprehensive support for vulnerable citizens.
“Persons employed in unsafe working conditions are provided with special payment, and additional payment has been established for employees of environmental services for risks to life and health. The salaries of medical workers and teachers in schools, colleges, and kindergartens have been increased. A law regulating contributions to children from the National Fund has been adopted. A new methodology for determining the minimum wage has been adopted, taking into account key economic indicators, including the inflation rate,” he said.
All this work, Tokayev underlined, will be filled with new meaning in 2024. This year is especially important because it lays the foundation for the next five-year development cycle of the country, the President said.
In the state-of-the-nation address in September last year, Tokayev set the task of doubling the gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate by 2029. The upcoming expanded government meeting will sum up the results of social and economic development and determine tactics for action in this direction.
“In the first quarter, the country will determine the main agenda in the economic, socio-political and humanitarian spheres. Kazakhstan will continue a constructive and balanced foreign policy, taking into account the national interests of the state,” Tokayev said.
In 2024, Kazakhstan will host several high-level summits and forums and chair several international organizations at once. Among them are the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CSTO), the Conference on Interaction and Confidence-Building Measures in Asia (CICA), the Organization of Turkic States (OTS), the International Fund for Saving the Aral Sea (IFAS), and the Islamic Organization for Food Security.
In September, Astana will host the fifth World Nomad Games, which is important both for the popularization of national sports and a healthy lifestyle, and for the expansion of cultural and humanitarian ties between fraternal peoples, Tokayev mentioned.
This year also marks the 125th anniversary of the birth of the famous scientist Kanysh Satpayev and the 100th anniversary of the birth of the famous heroes Sagadat Nurmagambetov and Rakhimzhan Koshkarbayev. According to historians, this year celebrates the 800th anniversary of the formation of the Ulus of Jochi, also known as the Golden Horde or the Kipchak Khanate.
The scientists will complete the preparation of a multi-volume book on the history of Kazakhstan this year. More than 200 Kazakh scientists and nearly 60 foreign specialists are engaged in this work.
“2024 will witness both many important events and even more routine work. How this year will remain in the history of the country depends on the efforts of all citizens. In my New Year’s address, I said that this year we will witness a new rise in our nation, but we will all have to work hard to achieve this goal,” Tokayev said.
