New social policy to improve Kazakhstanis' living standards - President
Head of State Nursultan Nazarbayev has announced it at the meeting with journalists of leading mass media of Kazakhstan at Akorda on Monday evening, February 28; the Presidential press service reports.
Answering the question about the new social policy which is set in the Message to the Nation, the President outlined that the purpose of any economic reforms and initiatives is improvement of the citizens' welfare.
The essence of the social modernization lies in further implementation of the Program of Forced Industrial-Innovative Development, improvement of the level of education and science, development of healthcare, further activation of housing construction, language policy and assistance to rural areas.
The Head of State stressed that Kazakhstan should continue modernization of education; completely renew a content of vocational and technical education. Quality education must become a foundation of industrialization and innovative development of Kazakhstan. It is necessary to pay special attention to the healthcare system. As a result of realization of the tasks set, life expectancy of the Kazakhstanis will increase to 70 years by 2015, and by 2020 - to 72 years and more.
N.Nazarbayev told about implementation of the Housing Construction Program for 2011-2014. The program specifies the following primary areas of the state construction sector support:
- Additional allocation of funds for housing construction by the local executive bodies using housing savings. There will be constructed about 796,000 sq m of housing during the program implementation. The Government allocates KZT 127 bln for these purposes.
- Funding of second-tier banks for financing of commercial construction. In this direction it is foreseen financing to the amount of KZT 70 bln and it is planned to build about 2.4 mln sq m of housing annually.
- Additional financing from the state budget for construction of utilities of districts of housing developments. Within this mechanism it is provided development of engineering infrastructure of satellite cities of Astana and Almaty. It will ensure timely launching of state and commercial housing.
- Construction of public rental housing. Within the program there will be continued construction of the state rental housing. About KZT 40 bln is provided for this and it is planned to construct 680,000 sq m of housing.
