President of Kazakhstan addressed the nation
On 1 September 2024 President of the Republic of Kazakhstan, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, addressed the nation. In his speech he touched upon the main spheres, including monetary and fiscal policy, improving the healthcare system, and the development of industrial potential of the country.
It is important to continually work on improving the investment climate and conditions for doing business.
The Government has set an important task: to increase the share of medium-sized businesses in the economy to 15 percent by 2029. Today, this figure stands at about 7 percent.
Attracting investment in the agro-industrial complex is an extremely important task. Despite the challenges posed by the floods, Kazakh farmers completed the sowing campaign on time.
This year, the financing of spring field work has been doubled. However, 70% of the financing for the agro-industrial complex still comes from the state. It is necessary to attract funds from commercial banks to the industry. Efforts have been made to subsidise state financial institutions to issue loans to farmers at reduced rates, and this experience should be extended to banks. This will allow for prompt provision of working capital to farmers, reduce corruption risks, and simplify the loan acquisition process.
A critical task is the gradual transition from direct subsidies in the agro-industrial complex to ensuring affordable lending. All allocated funds must be used efficiently. However, unreliable data—or in other words, falsifications—prevent us from accurately assessing the real situation in agriculture.
Some falsification have been discovered in crop production and cattle breeding. These are, in fact, forgeries for which state subsidies were allocated. This criminal practice must be stopped, and those involved must be brought to justice.
Land is a key element of the industry’s investment attractiveness. The Commission on Land Withdrawal has revealed more than two thousand illegal decisions by local executive bodies to grant agricultural land without tenders. There should be no ambiguity here: if the land was obtained in violation of the law and is not being used, it should be returned to the state under a simplified procedure. However, if a land user is working in good faith and has made investments, it is crucial not to disrupt existing production. Additionally, the efforts to develop villages should be made and ensure permanent employment for people in rural areas.
The state faces the challenge of promoting productive and legal employment, particularly in rural areas, so that citizens are directly involved in shaping their own futures.
The “Auyl Amanaty” (Heritage of the Village) project, launched last year, has shown generally good results. Currently, within the framework of this project, the introduction of a new tool – “commodity credit” – should be considered. At the same time, it is crucial to create infrastructure for processing and marketing the products produced by villagers.
It is necessary to establish centres in each district to teach citizens how to cultivate different crops. On the initiative of the “Amanat” party, such a project has already been launched in the Merki district of the Zhambyl region. The Government and akims should consider expanding it to other regions.
Overall, the task of the Government and all Government agencies is to facilitate the development of domestic businesses and attract foreign investors. Any obstruction to their legitimate activities should be regarded as a serious offence with corresponding consequences. Entrepreneurs and investors, in turn, must be honest, comply with the law, and not evade taxation.
One of the main tasks is to improve the environmental situation and cultivate respect for the environment.
It is necessary that the citizens of Kazakhstan are protected from the influence of negative environmental factors. Businesses must approach the issue of nature protection with great responsibility. The Government and the “Atameken” Chamber should take concrete measures in this regard. It is necessary to continue the widespread adoption of the most advanced technologies in this area, as well as to establish a modern system for emissions monitoring. The preservation of Kazakhstan’s unique flora and fauna will remain a priority. The state will take all necessary measures to protect forests and steppes from fires.
Despite Kazakhstan’s vast natural diversity, forests occupy only 5% of the country’s territory. Forest regeneration is crucial for maintaining ecological balance and ensuring the country’s sustainable socio-economic progress.
The country has made good progress in greening efforts, and this pace must not be reduced. The Semey Ormany (Semey Forest) forest reserve houses the only forest seed complex in Central Asia, dedicated to cultivating planting material that meets advanced international standards. It is necessary to replicate this project in other forest regions of the republic.
The idea of increasing forest areas should become truly popular. Serious information and awareness-raising efforts on this topic need to be organised among citizens.