Comments by Mr. Mukhtar Yerman, Committee Chairman of Mazhilis of Parliament on President's State of the Nation Address

The President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev delivered his state-of-the-nation address called “Kazakhstan in a new reality: Time for Action” at a joint session of the chambers of Parliament, outlining a promising vision of the nation’s further development.

The key message of the address is about the need to concentrate the capacity of state and the society’s potential for post-crisis development, social protection of the population, and actual support for entrepreneurship. The global trends require from the state apparatus the adoption of prompt and new decisions, and daily concerns should not obscure the “distant future,” Mr. Yerman believes.

“The President gave several clear-cut instructions on reforming the state apparatus, establishing the agency for strategic planning and reforms that would function under his immediate supervision. An important part of the address is about economic development in the new realities. The end of the long oil super cycle sets new challenges to create a diversified, high-tech economy," the Member of Mazhilis says.

Mr. Yerman emphasized that among the main priorities of the President of the Republic of Kazakhstan are “fair distribution of benefits and responsibilities, the leading role of entrepreneurship, the development of human capital, boosting green economy."

"President Tokayev talked in complete detail about the measures of state support for various fields of economy, and some of them require corresponding legislative amendments.”

Digitalization of the economy, development of agro-industrial complex, logistics, science, education, healthcare, local government, environmental safety should become the drivers of future reforms. A separate emphasis was given on the need to expand economic ties with Russia, on cooperation with the Russian state and companies to promote goods made in Kazakhstan, attract investments, the parliamentarian continues.

“Overall, the address has a strong social subject and orientation, it brings new ideas into several areas aimed at enhancing the future development of Kazakhstan,” Mr. Yerman summed up.

 

Mukhtar Yerman is Chairman of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, Defense and Security of Mazhilis of Parliament of the Republic of Kazakhstan