Hotline to the President: Kazakhstan will stand the hardship
Among the international issues there were the following: 2010 OSCE chairmanship, Custom Union with Russia and Belarus, ratification of Kyoto Protocol and others.
«There are various prognoses of the future. The crisis may last for the next 10-15 years and will lead to drastic changes of both economic and political system globally. However what I would like to say is that even if the recession continue with the same strength like this year, Kazakhstan will stand the hardship. As I mentioned before we possess USD 43 billion of state reserves. As of today these reserves have not decreased - they have grown. We have USD 45 billion», - the President said and added these funds are enough for Kazakhstanis to survive well in crisis.
The question about the benefit of the Customs Union between Kazakhstan, Russia and Belarus for the small and medium businesses was asked by an entrepreneur from Omsk. "It is necessary to raise competition within the CIS in order to be able to compete at the world level in the future", Kazakh President said. "The small and medium business will receive direct assistance. In accordance with our agreement the Customs Union between Kazakhstan Russia and Belarus will be established on January 1, 2010. We will sign the agreement on November 27 in Minsk. Firstly, this will create conditions for mutual investments, establishment of joint enterprises and business development. Secondly, the Customs tariffs will be simplified. Thirdly, legalization and process of levy indirect taxes is simplified as well", the Head of the State noted. According to N.Nazarbayev, the main advantage is that big market with 170 mln population and total GDP amounted to USD 2 trln will be opened for all participating countries. "Goods from the participating states and the Union neighboring states will come to our countries. If these goods are better and cheaper they will be sold. It is necessary to develop competition in the CIS in order to be able to compete at the world level", the President said. He also stressed that it is impossible to live in globalized world without integration.
"The government has to take measures on regulation of market prices", Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev said answering the questions of the Kazakhstanis during the live broadcast on Friday.
The Head of the State expressed concern about high food prices. He reminded that earlier the Government planned to create state food stocks to be able to influence market prices. He charged the Prime Minister to see into the matter.
N. Nazarbayev also urged the Government to take measures on prevention of seasonal price hike for fuels. Touching upon the issues of housing (equity construction holders) President said that "33 thousand home investors have already received housing this year. KZT 400 bln was allocated for this purpose", Nursultan Nazarbayev said. "15 thousand home owners more will receive homes by the end of this year. The total amount is 48 thousand people. Building of the rest facilities must be accomplished nest year. The Government pledges to settle the conflicts with those dishonest persons who deceived people".
50% of the country's need in national medicaments will be satisfied within a long-term prospect till 2014, President Nursultan Nazarbayev said so when answering the question of Almaty resident Sergey Frolov in the hotline. The President noted that this is a topical issue. "From the times of the Soviet Union Kazakhstan is a clear importer of medicaments. 90 percent of all medicaments we import amounted to USD 900 mln, and it is not normal", the Head of the State said. He noted that the Healthcare Ministry is actively working over the creation of a special logistic center which enters the 30 breakthrough projects of Kazakhstan. "At first, this will lead to an order and decrease in price", - the President noted. He also informed of the development of the issue on construction of a pharmaceutical factory in Astana and Shymkent. "Of course, there are such medicaments which will be only purchased. But all of them must pass quality inspection whereas speculation must be eliminated. The State knows about it and controls the issue", N. Nazarbayev stated.
President ordered the Healthcare Ministry to render assistance in treatment of a 10-year-old girl who suffers from blood devastating disease. As broadcaster Feodor Kurepin explained, they have received the reply from the Healthcare Ministry to the letter received from orphan girl Nastya Zavidova's grandmother. Nastya has a blood devastating disease which requires a long-term and expensive treatment". The President urged the Healthcare Ministry to handle this issue, and report him about the further procedures taken, and wished the girl early recovery
The President called on the business community to contribute to the construction of the New University in Astana. "We build a new international university in Astana. It will have a scientific center "Nazarbayev" with modern laboratories on nanotechnologies, information technologies, biotechnologies, mathematics and physics. In this context I announced about the establishment of the Fund of Science", President said. He noted that the funds allocated by the Kazakh business can help invite foreign professors including the Nobel Prize laureates and Russian scientists. Such measures will allow improving the quality of education. The International University of Astana named after the Head of the State is under construction currently. It will be managed by a special council consisting of foreign professors. Each department will be managed by a particular western university. Graduates will get two diplomas - the Kazakh and western ones.
Another interesting issue was touched upon while answering the question of engineer from the Atyrau Oil Refinery Adilet Shoshanbasov on participation of Kazakhstanis in lager projects with foreign participation. "Kazakhstani workers and specialists need to acquire modern knowledge, and replace foreign specialists", President Nursultan Nazarbayev replied. "The rate of the Kazakh personnel employed at projects implemented in Kazakhstan by foreign and joint companies will be increased", the Head of the State said. According to him, to date 5 thousand companies with foreign participation work in Kazakhstan. Over 380 thousand people are employed there. Only 9% out of them are foreigners. The Head of the State said that Kazakh workers should permanently improve their qualifications, master new technologies that come with foreign investments. "Your task is to gain knowledge. Then all key positions in foreign companies will be yours. And the Government will further pay special attention to fulfillment of requirements on the Kazakh content by foreign companies, including human resources in their projects", the President said.
It is known that In 2011 Kazakhstan will host Asian Winter Games. The citizens of Pavlodar are concerned about the difficult economic situation that can hinder preparation for such a grandiose sports event. In yesterday's live broadcast program they asked if Kazakhstan possesses enough funds to hold the games. The President noted that despite the holding and preparation for the Asian Games falls on difficult period the Government of Kazakhstan was charged to finish construction of all sports facilities. He said that a ski-jump as well as the Baluan Sholak Sports Palace, Medeu sports complex and a 30,000-seat roofed stadium would be finished on time. N. Nazarbayev stressed that the funds budgeted in the event would not be idle. "The state will offset a part of expenses through advertising, renting of sports facilities and tourist flow.
This Tuesday President of Kazakhstan received Chairman of the OSCE Parliamentary Assembly Joao Soares in the Akorda Palace. At a briefing J. Soares noted Kazakhstan's efforts taken in the spheres of security, ecology, economic development and human rights. He also expressed confidence that Kazakhstan would demonstrate activeness while the OSCE chairmanship and also expressed support to the idea of holding the OSCE summit in Astana, 2010.
"Kazakhstan has a lot to offer the OSCE on all the three dimensions of the Organization's activity - economic and environmental, security and humanitarian spheres", Kazakh President N.Nazarbayev said it Friday while answering the question of President of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry Yevgeny Primakov. Elder Statesman of Russia Y.Primakov was interested in plans of our country at the post of the chairman of the Organization. He also noted that Russia expects activation of the OSCE activity during the period of Kazakhstan's chairmanship. "As it is known, Kazakhstan was named candidate for the post of the OSCE chairman collectively. This is an honorary mission - for the first time a representative of both the CIS and Asia, a country of the Muslim world - will chair the Organization. Special state commission that will work over provision of the effectiveness of Kazakhstan's chairmanship was established by my Decree. Kazakhstan will promote the dialogue between Europe, the CIS member states and Central Asia. Besides, Kazakhstan has a clear position of such topical issues as nuclear threat and weapons of mass destruction, settling the conflict in Afghanistan, countering new challenges and treats, including extremisms and drugs trafficking", the President said.
The environment is one of the priority issues in Kazakhstan's policy. It will be discussed at the forthcoming UN session. Since we ratified the Kyoto Protocol to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change", the President said. The issue of industrial emissions in large cities was touched upon by a moderator of the President's live dialogue with the nation. The problem of air pollution exists in Ust Kamenogorsk, Balkhash, Temirtau, Atyrau and Almaty. Thus the Head of the State noted that the greening process is very urgent in Kazakhstan. He noted that implementation of clean technologies should be controlled by the environmental institutes. Signing the Kyoto Protocol Kazakhstan agrees to implement all mechanisms of 'clean development'.
The direct line with the President lasted for three hours. When it was drawing to the end Nursultan Nazarbayev urged regional Governors and Mayors to control over and answer all rest questions of Kazakhstanis. Besides, the President recommended all national and other TV channels to hold live broadcasts with Mayors and Ministers by the end of the month. "Let them answer all the questions from regions' community", the Head of the State proposed. The main national newspapers like "Yegemen Kazakhstan" and "Kazakhstanskaya Pravda" and other periodic were charged to publish all these answers. Upon completion of the hotline the President thanked the Kazakhstanis for paid attention and wished all goods to each family and each Kazakhstani individually.
We have already received comments from spectators within the country and abroad. "Depth of awareness and breadth of knowledge of the Kazakh President impress me greatly", Vice Rector of the Pavlodar State University Meiram Begentayev said commenting on yesterday's direct conversation of N. Nazarbayev with the population. The Head of the State has a good awareness of the international and internal situation. His answers covered both large-scale events and every day problems of certain people. "I concern myself with the problems of education therefore I was especially interested in the President's answers given to young Kazakhstanis. I would like also to point out his message to the youth "Study well, be a professional and people will appreciate you. You don't need to be rich to achieve this aim", M. Begentayev noted.
Chief of Azerbaijan's information-analytical center Rauf Radzhabov also shared his comments on the dialogue. "Following the dialogue of N. Nazarbayev with the people of Kazakhstan and reading the questions and answers published by Kazinform I would like also to highlight President's words regarding importance of authorities serving the nation. To my mind, it's a quite important moment when the country's leader lays emphasis on the authorities' professionalism. It would be great if all political leaders on the post-Soviet space adhere to this principle.
One more important issue concerning youth policy and education. It should be noted here that President Nazarbayev called business to invest into education and finance educational projects. In conclusion I would like to note N. Nazarbayev's words that independence of the country must be defended. Any sovereign state which sets ambitious aims and objectives and which also possesses rich natural resources and intellectual potential must defend its interests indeed. Listening to the dialogue I understood that the people of Kazakhstan have one common goal - to contribute to the development of the state in order to take worthy place among the developed countries of the globe", R. Radzhabov said.
