Quality of life in villages will be improved in Kazakhstan: Government approved Concept for development of rural settlements
In implementation of the decree of the Head of State, the Government approved the Concept for the Development of Rural Settlements for 2023-2027. The corresponding resolution was signed by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Kazakhstan Alikhan Smailov.
The concept is aimed at unlocking the socio-economic potential of rural settlements, taking into account their geographical features and competitive advantages. It provides for various measures to improve the income and quality of life of the villagers. It should be noted that the Decree on the development of this Concept was signed by Kassym-Jomart Tokayev in November 2022 after taking office as the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
The main focus of the document is on the comprehensive modernization of 3.5 thousand rural settlements (RS) with high development potential, where about 90% of the country's villagers live, within the framework of the "Auyl - Yel Besigi" project. Such settlements will become new points of economic growth by creating favorable conditions for people to work and live.
One of the main goals will be the formation of a comfortable rural environment through the development of social, engineering and transport infrastructure. This implies the construction of new schools and medical facilities, ensuring uninterrupted water and electricity supply, broadband access to the Internet and satellite communications, improving the quality of intra-village roads, building cultural facilities - libraries, clubs, museums and cinemas, sports facilities, opening public service centers, etc.
To intensify housing construction, work will continue to bring engineering communications to new land plots. At the same time, the costs of employers who have built housing for their employees in rural areas will be subsidized in the amount of 50% of the cost of a house put into operation with an area of not more than 100 square meters.
To improve the safety of living in rural settlements, work will be carried out on the construction of modern police stations, the introduction of video surveillance in district centers, the establishment of pedestrian crossings and cattle driving zones in villages, and the creation of permitted and equipped places for swimming.
Along with this, special attention will be paid to the development of border rural settlements. In particular, by upgrading the infrastructure and providing basic services, it is planned to reduce the outflow of the population, create comfortable living conditions for people and give a new impetus to the economic development of the border regions as a whole. At the same time, the possibility of introducing a wage supplement to residents of border rural districts of labor-deficient regions will be considered.
The Concept also provides for systemic measures to improve soil fertility, strengthen control over the rational use of agricultural land, put new irrigated plots into circulation, reconstruct existing and build new reservoirs, increase productivity, diversify crops, etc.
As for increasing the incomes of the villagers, this issue is planned to be addressed by activating agro-industrial production, developing entrepreneurship and agricultural cooperation. Thus, the association of small farms and the organization of agricultural cooperatives will allow farmers to reduce the cost of seeds, fertilizers, fuels and lubricants, feed, agrotechnical and veterinary services, increase the volume of manufactured products through the joint use of land, agricultural machinery, irrigation and drainage systems, as well as have a stable sales of produced goods without intermediaries.
In general, such an approach will contribute to the development of the business environment and the formation of a market, transport and logistics infrastructure in the countryside. In addition, due to the expansion of activities, new jobs will appear and the outflow of young personnel will decrease.
One of the tools will be the "Auyl amanats" project, which will provide preferential micro-crediting for personal subsidiary farms at a rate of 2.5% per annum, the formation of service and marketing cooperatives, leasing of machinery, equipment, etc. It is also planned to support import-substituting investment projects in the countryside for the main types of food products. In particular, the experience of the North Kazakhstan region in financing investment projects in the agro-industrial complex will be scaled up.
The Concept for the Development of Rural Settlememts for 2023-2027 also provides for a number of other measures, including involving villagers in local self-government, providing diverse state support, developing tourism, stimulating exports, ensuring environmental safety, etc. You can read more about this in the text of the Concept.
It is expected that as a result of its implementation, the share of the rural population with incomes below the subsistence level will decrease to 5.8%, and the unemployment rate in rural settlements - to 4.2%.
At the same time, the provision of rural settlements with water supply services will be 100%, Internet coverage - 97%, the share of local roads in a standard condition - 95%. In rural settlements, 655 healthcare facilities, 183 schools and 100 sports facilities will be commissioned. 650 cultural objects will be built and repaired.
For reference: according to the Bureau of National Statistics, at the beginning of 2023, there are 6,295 rural settlements in the republic, in which 38.2% of the country's population, or 7.5 million people, live.