COURSE OF SOCIAL MODERNIZATION: «Informational Kazakhstan» is truly people's program - Bikesh Kurmangaliyeva

Kazakhstan is no exception, so for the development of the ICT industry in our country there appeared a National ICT Holding called "Zerde" that forms favorable conditions for increasing competitiveness and economic efficiency of info-communication industry, that stimulates investment and innovation activity in the ICT area.

About what projects of ICT industry are being implemented within the state program called "Information Kazakhstan-2020", as well as the steps taken by the National holding "Zerde" for the development of the ICT sector in Kazakhstan, the correspondent of Kazinform speaks to the deputy chairman of the Board of JSC "National ICT Holding "Zerde" Bikesh Kurmangaliyeva.

- Bikesh Kaydarovna, in January this year for the development of the ICT industry the Government has adopted the State Program titled "Information Kazakhstan-2020". Will you tell us what the main objectives of this program are?

- Information Kazakhstan is truly the people's program, because it is created for each of us. Its implementation will affect all Kazakhstani society, as it aims to make ICT infrastructure available to the public, to teach people to use it for their development. Thus we will create a transition to the new information and innovation oriented society, which is capable to lead our country to a new level.

Today everyone is using the services of e-government, everyone wants to have on hand a quality high-speed Internet, everyone wants to use for the benefit the opportunities that gives us a world of information and communication technologies. That's why this program should involve all people of Kazakhstan, with their participation, with suggestions or constructive criticism aimed at improving the methods and forms of embodiment "Information of Kazakhstan-2020" in life.

This program not only will create the conditions for the transition to the information society, but will be a catalyst in the accelerated development of the economy of Kazakhstan.

- Undoubtedly, the development of information and communication technologies is the future. But even today, the industry contributes to the progress of our country. If we talk about the financial side, what is the share of ICT in GDP of Kazakhstan?

- The share of the IT-market in the ICT sector has also increased in comparison with 2011 and amounted to 44.5%. If we talk about the volume of IT-market in the ICT sector during the same period, it made KZT 393 billion, despite the fact that by 2011 the increase was 40% (KZT 157 billion).

In general, the structure of the IT-market should be divided into three major sectors: IT-hardware, software sector and IT-services sector. If we analyze the data in the context of these sectors, the dynamics of the structure of the IT market will be as follows: IT services sector is KZT 63 billion, including growth of 26.4% (KZT 23 billion) the previous 2011; Software Sector for the analyzed period of 9 months of 2012 is KZT 7.9 billion, despite the fact that in 2011 saw a decline of the sector by 2.19% (KZT 234 mln) compared to 2010, and the sector of IT equipment during this period earned KZT 322.2 billion, despite the fact that in this direction in 2011 there was also the decline of 2.6% (KZT 3.7 billion) compared with 2010.

In general, the dynamics of the growth of the IT-market can be characterized as positive, since the volume of IT-market in 2009 amounted to KZT 165 billion, in 2010 - KZT 216 billion in 2011 - KZT 236 billion. But the results do not mean that we can now rest on their laurels, because this success must first be consolidated and constantly increase.

- Bikesh Kaydarovna, one of the main activities of Zerde company is to increase computer literacy. Why is that so important?

The literacy rate is one of the key indicators of any country's development. To date, the literacy rate should be characterized not only with the ability to write correctly or knowledge of several languages, but also with the ability to use new IT-technology.

Increasing computer literacy is beneficial to all: to the citizens, the state and employers. Because if we are constantly improving our skills and knowledge, our value in the labor market will continue to grow, plus, having easy access to professional resources, we are able to improve our specialized skills, the professionalism that is sure to reduce the likelihood of job loss and make us popular.

At the same time, an employer who seeks to develop his company equips it with advanced technology, applying the latest developments, but it also needs highly qualified specialists who can manage it. Training the employees, the employer becomes self-sufficient and have associates who, applying their knowledge, will be able to take the company to the next level.

The positive effect of increasing computer literacy will be felt by the state too, and it will receive a highly competitive people actively using the Internet capabilities for lifelong learning. In addition, Kazakhstan, using advanced Internet technology for public services in electronic format, today helps reduce corruption and counter bureaucratic barriers, thus ensuring the transparency of interaction between government and citizens.

- Will you tell more about that, increase of computer literacy?

- Since the concept of digital literacy includes two areas: basic computer skills and a professional, then training will be targeted, with these categories in mind.

Education in the first direction will be maintained for such audiences as the unemployed, people living in remote areas, children's homes, the disabled, senior citizens, and all citizens who have not received these skills.
Professional Increasing computer literacy will be held by businesses solely based on the specifics of their work and the needs of an employer.

In addition, to improve the effectiveness of these courses there will be account of addressees' residence. After all, it is no secret that the computerization of the countryside, as well as computer literacy itself is an order of magnitude lower than in the cities. Because rural people sometimes just do not have the available means of communication, computers, or quality access to the Internet.

Last year the holding conducted the first courses of increasing computer literacy, its Video Tutorials on the basic skills of working with a personal computer, the Internet and receiving e-services available online portals are on e-gov and KazTube.

- Bikesh Kaydarovna, can you tell me, if international experience had been taken into account when developing the Action Plan to improve the computer literacy of the population and an increase in the number of users of electronic services for 2013-2014?

- Certainly. Our experts have studied the experience of our neighbors as well as foreign countries. Something new, interesting and productive we have borrowed for our concept, but most of the experience of other countries does not differ from Kazakhstan's. For example, we have just as in Canada, computer literacy included in the list of skills that the student should receive after graduating from an educational institution, and the program in computer science is a compulsory subject along with mathematics. However, there exist non-governmental organizations to help citizens with limited knowledge of ICT skills, learn computer skills.

Also, the National Program of computer literacy, learning the basic skills of working with PCs, the Internet and email have been implemented in the Czech Republic. And the realization of it at the time when only 40% of Czech households had a computer, not only did not prevent the use of the acquired skills in the future, but also contributed to the increase in sales of computer equipment and an increase in the number of users.

There are over 90 thousand people to have been trained in basic computer literacy through the implementation of the project «Ole Kaasas! (Let's stay together!) " in Estonia, which was aimed at increasing the number of Internet users in order to reduce the information of social stratification. This project was initiated for the residents who do not have the skills and abilities to use the Internet primarily for large families, rural residents, the elderly and people with low-and middle-income countries.

In Finland, for example, there are more than 300 educational centers that provide formal testing to obtain an international certificate of computer literacy International Computer Driving License.

- Increasing computer literacy will enable our citizens to more actively use public services and services provided in electronic form. And what services are most popular among Kazakh people and are there new services on e-gov portal?

- Today, the most popular are the services to provide targeted information, certificate of absence of property, registered title to real estate and its technical characteristics. Also popular among Kazakhstanis is certificate of absence of convictions, and information on pension contributions.

Despite the fact that today the e-gov portal provides 190 services almost every month we introduce new services into operation. For example, from March this year you can register the foreigners who come to visit you, just filling in a form on our site, as you can in 1 day register as an individual entrepreneur, private notary, bailiff or a private attorney or a patent on the use of a special tax regime. And just recently started working the service on payment of mobile communication through the portal of e-government, with no commission.

Increasing popularity of the services provided by the portal, e-gov can be estimated by the number of citizens of the received digital signatures. On today issued are 2,000,000 of them.

A good indicator of the demand of the portal is the number of online payments. Only for December 2012 the state treasury payment gateway of e-government (PGEG) received more than KZT 9.5 million, while the number of transactions over the PGEG in 2012 exceeded 47,600. And in the first month of 2013 through the payment gateway of "electronic government" of the Republic of Kazakhstan has been paid more than KZT 33, 9 mln.

- Bikesh Kaydarovna, ending our conversation today, let's talk about the most pleasant, a positive assessment of the international community of the results achieved by Kazakhstan in the field of ICT.

- Yes, indeed, it makes one pleased when the efforts are justified and have yielded positive results. At the end of 2012 in the UN ranking of Kazakhstan took the 38th place on the index of development of e-government and 2nd place on the index of e-participation. Quite significant is the fact that, according to the rating, Kazakhstan is the leader among the countries of Central Asia.

Composing this ranking the UN compared 190 member countries for the development of "e-government", which includes an index of e-government and e-participation index. According to the rating, the index of online services in Kazakhstan increased by 10 positions, while the index of telecommunications infrastructure by 14 positions.

As for the second key indicator - the index of e-participation - the rating of the UN is led by the Netherlands, South Korea, and Kazakhstan shared 2nd place with Singapore, and 3rd place belongs to the United States and the United Kingdom. The index determines the possibilities of online communication of citizens with the government, reflects the participation of citizens in decision-making.

Also in 2012, the International Telecommunication Union has put Kazakhstan on the 49th place in the world in terms of ICT development. Year growth is 7 points that can be considered a very significant result, especially given the growth of ICT sector in other countries.

And most recently, there was a report by the World Economic Forum on Information Technology for 2013, which covered data of 142 countries. According to it Kazakhstan took the 43rd place in the Network Readiness Index, despite the fact that in 2012 Kazakhstan ranked 55th in the world. It really is a great achievement because Networked Readiness Index reflects the development of information and communication technologies (ICTs) and their contribution to the economy of each country, as well as the willingness of national economies to the use of these technologies.

I would like to emphasize that when we are doing our job, the first thing we think about, is our citizens, on how to make getting government services easier and more convenient for them to Kazakhstan could freely navigate in the Internet space and use IT-innovations . But we are also pleased to receive a positive assessment of the world's experts. For us, it's an incentive to step up the pace of work, to increase its volume and strive for new achievements in the development of our ICT sector of Kazakhstan.