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In his interview with the Ana Tili newspaper President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev praised the results Kazakhstan achieved in 2024 and highlighted the unprecedented challenges the country faced in the same period,
Kazinform News Agency reports.
In the past year, according to the Head of State, there were many important events and a lot of work was done.
For example, modernization of the engineering and communal infrastructure, which had fallen into disrepair, was carried out in all regions. 18 million square meters of housing were commissioned. 7 thousand kilometers of roads were built and repaired. New passenger terminals were launched at the airports in the cities of Almaty, Kyzylorda, and Shymkent. Large-scale projects were implemented in the mining, petrochemical, and metallurgical industries. The manufacturing sector, whose share in the industrial structure almost equaled that of the mining sector, received active development. I would especially like to note the success of our farmers, who harvested a record crop of the past decade - almost 27 million tons of grain," Tokayev said.
He reminded that in his last year’s interview with the Egemen Qazaqstan newspaper he said that 2024 would be a defining year for Kazakhstan.
And so it happened. By starting systemic and even painful economic reforms, we set the stage for the country's five-year development. Many projects and initiatives have been implemented in this direction, and there will be even more," the President promised.
In his words, last year saw the increase of pensions, benefits, scholarships and salaries of civil servants. Payments under the "National Fund for Children" was another highlight of 2024.
Hundreds of new schools, kindergartens, and sports and fitness complexes were built countrywide. More than ten branches of leading foreign universities were opened. Funding for science increased, and cultural figures received significant support. Utmost attention was paid to the development of mass sports. All these are useful investments in strengthening the creative potential of citizens.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev believes that amid unprecedented geopolitical tension, Kazakhstan has strengthened its position on the international stage as a state playing a useful role in establishing dialogue for the sake of peace. This positively affects the security and sustainable economic development of our country.
He admitted that the past year was a challenging one as Kazakhstan felt the negative impact of external factors, and natural disasters also interfered with the plans. But, Kazakhstan, in his words, not only kept the situation under control, but also continued the implementation of reforms.
President Tokayev also touched upon the unprecedented floods that put Kazakhstan to a serious test last year.
... the state managed to respond promptly to the dangerous situation. The evacuation of people was organized in a timely manner, the work of temporary accommodation points was established, and material reserves were unsealed. Not only the employees of the Ministry of Emergency Situations, but also the Ministry of Internal Affairs, the Ministry of Defense, the National Guard, and other structures participated in the emergency rescue operations - a total of about 63 thousand people. We managed to save lives and ensure their well-being," said the Head of State.
He emphasized that Kazakhstan learnt an important lesson from the destructive floods.
...we can cope with such disasters only through joint efforts. During the floods, we witnessed the powerful potential of the volunteer movement, volunteers from all over the country helped rescuers, collected humanitarian aid, and supported the victims," he stressed.
Speaking of the destructive nature of the floods, the President reminded that houses, roads, bridges, social and commercial facilities were damaged, and some livestock perished. Tokayev also admitted that such severe consequences could have been avoided if proper attention had been paid to the construction of protective dams and other hydraulic structures in recent decades.
Kazakhstan indeed has learnt its lesson as the new draft Water Code is being considered at the Kazakh Parliament. On top of that, the concept and comprehensive plan for water resource management have been approved, which provide for the construction of more than 40 new and the reconstruction of 37 existing reservoirs by 2030, as well as the modernization of over 14 thousand kilometers of irrigation canals.
A large-scale modernization of the emergency forecasting and prevention system is underway. To address the shortage of water specialists and strengthen research activities, the Kazakh National University of Water Management and Irrigation has been established," Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said.
The elimination of the consequences of the spring floods, according to him, demonstrated the effectiveness of the state.
Not a single affected family was left without help and support. Houses were built and apartments were purchased, infrastructure facilities were restored, and losses were compensated for all residents and businessmen affected by the floods. Moreover, this was done in the shortest possible time. Large businesses also made a significant contribution to eliminating the consequences of the floods," President Tokayev underlined.
The Head of State is confident that in today's turbulent world, the number of man-made and natural disasters is growing, and not all states, including the developed ones, are ready for them.
We all witnessed this in 2024. Undoubtedly, we still have a lot to do, but compared to other countries, Kazakhstan looks decent in terms of responding to emergencies," he added.
Earlier it was reported that President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev traditionally congratulated Kazakhstanis on New Year, sending the message of warmth and joy.
