During the meeting, the Head of State was presented a report on the main results of the activities of Labour and Social Protection Ministry, as well as on the implementation of the instructions voiced in the President’s Address to the Nation of Kazakhstan.
Nursultan Nazarbayev stressed that the main governmental task lies in increasing the level of welfare in Kazakhstan.
- The state fulfils all obligations, annually increasing the volume of social sphere financing. This year, KZT 2.6 trillion was allocated for these purposes, which is 21.3% more than in the past, the President of Kazakhstan said.
The Head of State particularly noted that this year’s Address, the key topic of which is increase in earnings and quality of living, contains a set of measures on the minimum wage size gain.
- Starting January 1, 2019, wages of low-paid workers, including civil servants, will increase by 1.5 times. Such growth will also affect administrative, support and technical staff. On average, up to 30% will increase the salaries of 1.3 million poorly-paid employees in all economic sectors, Nursultan Nazarbayev said.
The President of Kazakhstan noted that since the beginning of the year, 1.8 million out of 2.7 million people have been updated to involve the self-employed population in the state social security system. Nursultan Nazarbayev also pointed out that for all working citizens of Kazakhstan it is planned to introduce a single cumulative payment from 2019.
- Since January 1, 2018, we have adopted the targeted social assistance for low-income families, which only in 10 months of the current year covered about 103 thousand families or 534 thousand people with state support, the Head of State said.
In addition, Nursultan Nazarbayev pointed out to the head of the relevant agency about the expansion in the number of microloans given and the importance of increasing their accessibility to the public.
- It is required to ensure later in the year the enactment of a law providing for a one and a half times increase in the size of the minimum wage. It is necessary for the ministry and akimats to take measures to control the provision of minimum wage increases by employers and conduct appropriate explanatory work. A pay boost should affect 1.3 million of our citizens, Nursultan Nazarbayev instructed.
The Head of State pointed out the need to increase retirement benefit payments by age by 7%, as well as an increase by 5% of state social allowances for disability and for the loss of a breadwinner from January 1, 2019.
The meeting also discussed issues of social insurance. At the same time, it was noted that it is necessary to ensure the growth of average social benefits for disability, loss of work or a breadwinner by an average of 30% from 2020.
In order to create conditions for self-realization and full integration of citizens with disabilities, the President of Kazakhstan commissioned to develop a new National Plan to ensure the rights and improve the quality of life of disabled people. This document should include steps to prevent disability, introduce large-scale inclusive education, adapt the entire social and transport infrastructure for people with special needs, as well as mechanisms to ensure the active participation of employers and businesses in employing people with disabilities.
In the context of moving to a digital economy and Industry 4.0, the Head of State focused the attention of the meeting on raising the requirements for the quality of labour resources.
- It is necessary to develop new approaches to the labour market growth to create high-quality jobs. It is expected that by 2025 additional 2 million young specialists will enter the labour market. It is important to provide our young people with appropriate jobs, Nursultan Nazarbayev said.
At the end of the meeting, the Head of State instructed the Presidential Administration to take control of fulfilling these instructions.
