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Kazakhstan ranked 24th in the global e-government development index, climbing four spots from the previous report, according to the UN E-Government Survey 2024 released on Sept. 18. Three months before, the government became a part of the regional project that seeks to advance digital governance in Central Asia.
Dinara Shokayeva.
A different picture is observed in a tiny apartment in the Baikonur district of Astana of the retired couple, my grandfather and grandmother, whom I was visiting on weekend in October. I saw them struggling to make an online application to obtain a certificate from the Egov platform. Despite my attempts to show them a step-by-step process to allow them to learn and use it afterward, I heard an ashamed and irritated voice of my grandmother “Just do it for us, we won’t learn anyways, too hard to memorize.”
This comment was confusing as a girl in her twenties who started using the internet around 12. Couldn’t it be even more straightforward with the instructions for these platforms? At the same time, doubts arise when you see huge queues in the local Public Service Centers. The queues are mainly made up of the elderly and middle-aged people who rush over to a couple of front employees, supposedly to help those who are in need. But the reality is that you see those workers surrounded by dozens of citizens, and then, it all ding dong on you; it is a huge generational digital gap we are witnessing.
Along with all the modernization efforts that the government has been working on, one of the main priorities of the governance reforms was to streamline the public service delivery processes. It launched the Digital Kazakhstan program to harness digital power in all sectors. While many praise the achievements in a short period, especially the younger generation who tend to enjoy the perks of it the most, older people are left behind.
This disparity has been recognized as an issue by the reports and studies. Unsurprisingly, given the lack of understanding of what the internet represents, online scams, fishing and fraud have thrived in Kazakhstan over the last few years. There is no need to guess the answer to the question of who has been the most vulnerable group of the population.
Apart from the infamous fraudulent activity, the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 was a real test for those in need of funds and healthcare services. While telehealth is yet to be developed in the country, it has had some seeds during the pandemic. However, the government help for those affected was processed online, leaving many people unfamiliar with the opportunity or unable to apply.
It is necessary to take intentional steps to address the issue. One such undertaking could be government-sponsored programs to increase the older population’s digital literacy. These programs may take place with close collaboration with the private sector and prioritize engagement with younger people. After all, this is a matter of intergenerational dialogue. To start with, courses that aim at reducing digital illiteracy should be mandatory and implemented at the usual gathering spots of older adults – libraries, sports centers, and theaters.
Telecom companies – including the state-owned Kazakhtelecom – the internet provider in the country – should be able to provide training sessions for new users.
Another way for the issue to gain the attention of policymakers is to adapt the indicators of the national digitalization services so that they capture the levels of the digital divide between younger and older generations. While it will undoubtedly negatively affect the overall international level of the country, this might be a great motive to provide more learning opportunities or adapt the existing digital platforms for them.
Efforts are oriented toward providing equal access to the internet in both rural and urban areas. We see a lot of initiatives from private companies and regional partnerships designed to address the rural-urban digital divide regarding education for children and empowering females. In response to the growing digitalization of the services, there was also a free digital skills training program in all regions focused on basic digital skills, e-government services, and e-commerce, with a reported 2,729 institutions participating in the project. The next step would be more targeted solutions to empower the older citizens.
The author is Dinara Shokayeva, a PhD student at the Graduate School of Public Policy, Nazarbayev University.
Disclaimer: The views and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the position of The Astana Times.
