The Government of Kazakhstan has adopted a comprehensive plan to promote employment of persons older than 50 years (50+ Initiative), developed by the Ministry of Labour and Social Protection in the framework of the modernization of the country’s pension system. The plan provides for the creation of jobs in the framework of the currently implemented state and sectoral programmes. Thus, the plan envisages the participation of women in the State Programme of Accelerated Industrial and Innovative Development, promotion of entrepreneurship among people over 50 years of age under the Business Road Map 2020 programme. Also, for the development of private farms under the Employment 2020 programme it is planned to implement projects in the field of cattle breeding, crop production and processing of products. In addition, through a new Agribusiness 2020 programme it is planned to increase the access of older farmers to financial resources and new technologies. The Government is considering measures to promote employment of older persons based on remote forms of employment, establishment of rural cooperatives and family farms, Minister of Labour and Social Protection Serik Abdenov said. The Government is expected to discuss the European experience of job quotas for the employment of persons older than 50 years, training and retraining, advanced training of employees in this age group, working in the budgetary institutions and enterprises with state participation.
According to Chairman of the National Space Agency of Kazakhstan Talgat Mussabayev, this summer Kazakhstan plans to put into operation a backup ground control complex for KazSat satellites. The system of satellite communication and broadcasting for KazSat will effectively solve the problem of communication and broadcasting across the country, and will give an impetus to the development of the communications industry, communications and multimedia services, such as the Internet, 3G, digital TV, IP-telephony, etc. According to Kazcosmos, KazSat-2 satellite is functioning in normal mode and is designed to provide television broadcasting and transmission of data in the satellite communication system on the territory of Kazakhstan, Central Asia and the central part of Russia, as well as to meet the needs of Kazakh satellite operators. It currently operates at 64% of its full capacity. The main goal of the satellite communication system KazSat is to provide mutual support and backup of all satellite and broadcasting networks to meet the needs of national telecom operators.
A total of 99,560 or 72% of the total number of school graduates in Kazakhstan expressed their wish to pass Unified National Testing this year, the press service of the Ministry of Education and Science announced. According to the recently created database entitled “Graduate”, 99,560 graduates, accounting for 72% of the total number of graduates, expressed a wish to participate in the UNT, including 68,315 with the Kazakh language and 31,245 with the Russian language of instruction. On the basis of the results of the database, the National Testing Center will draw up a schedule of the Unified National Testing. According to the Ministry, about 78% of school graduates, or 121,000 people, passed the UNT in 2012.
In the first quarter of 2013, the infant mortality rate has decreased by 12% to 12.5 deaths per 1,000 live births, according to the press service of the Kazakhstan Ministry of Health. “In the first quarter of 2013, the infant mortality rate in Kazakhstan reduced by 12% to 12.5 per 1,000 live births compared with 14.2 at the same period last year,” the press service of the Ministry said. The maternal mortality rate decreased by 4.4% and made 15.4 deaths per 100 thousand live births, compared to 16.1 in the first quarter of 2012. The dynamics of the last three years shows that maternal mortality decreased 3.7 times, infant mortality decreased by 25% and mortality from cardiovascular diseases decreased by 20%. According to the Ministry of Health, the reduction of maternal and infant mortality rates was made possible by the introduction of international perinatal technologies.
