WEEKLY REVIEW: Kazakhstan to provide conditions for mothers with many children to combine job and childrearing
On Monday, July 9, addressing the sitting of the rectors of higher educational institutions on polylingual education, Kazakh Education and Science Minister Bakhytzhan Zhumagulov said, that some heads of Kazakhstani universities violate budget legislation drawing 15% of overhead expenses from the funds allotted for financing science.
The article "Social Modernization of Kazakhstan: Twenty Steps Towards a Universal Labor Society" by Kazakh President Nursultan Nazarbayev was published on Tuesday in the leading republican mass media.
In this article the Kazakh President gives twenty new instructions to the Government, ministries, Parliament and Nur Otan People's Democratic Party to advance social well-being of Kazakh people.
"Kazakhstan marked the 20th anniversary. New perspectives are open before the country. Care about every Kazakhstani is the center of my attention. This is necessary as life and everyday well-being of all citizens of our country depends on the solution of social issues," N. Nazarbayev said.
According to the Kazakh President, Kazakhstan has laid a strong basis of the social state during the years of independence and also reached the central European countries' social development level. Standards of living in Kazakhstan are rising steadily. But the essential issue is how effectively our citizens use the fruits of stability and prosperity.
The President pointed out that the draft concept designed for the period till 2030 must be prepared until 1 April 2012. It should be based on Kazakhstan-2030 Strategy and other strategic documents and combine the issues of developing Kazakhstan's social system and society with the objectives of economic modernization.
On Wednesday the Industry and New Technologies Ministry of Kazakhstan organized the Kazakh-Swiss Business Forum to focus on investing capital into Kazakhstan's railway industry.
The same day the Agriculture Ministry held a briefing. "Grain and its derived products exports of Kazakhstan hit record level this marketing year," Agriculture Ministry's farming department director Anna Buts' said.
"According to the Kazakh Statics Agency and Kazakhstan Temir Zholy data, 12.1 mln tons of grain have been shipped for export since July 2011 through June 30, 2012 that is 2.2 times more against 2010-2011 marketing year," she added.
"Kazakhstan plans to harvest this year 14 mln tons of grain in net weight, "acting head of the farming department subdivision told a briefing.
"Taking into account the existing stand and today's weather conditions we expect the harvest to be lower than the average yield but more than crops harvested in drought-ridden 2010
The Secretary of the Navy Ray Mabus visited Kazakhstan from July 9 to July 11. In Kazakhstan he met with the Ministers of Defense and Environmental Protection to discuss Kazakhstan's plans for the development of security and emergency response capabilities in the Caspian Sea.
On July 12 the Kazakh Statistics Agency along with the World Bank launched in Astana KAZSTAT, the project aimed at raising the country's statistics potential in conformity with international methodology and practice.
"The sum total of the WB loan made USD 22 mln," head of the Statistics Agency Alikhan Smailov told.
On Friday (July 13) the Cabinet gathered for the governmental session chaired by the Head of State in order to report on the implementation of instructions given by President Nazarbayev in his program "Social Modernization of Kazakhstan: Twenty Steps Towards a Universal Labor Society".
Minister of Economic Development and Trade Bakytzhan Sagintayev presented a draft decree "On measures on the implementation of instructions of the Head of State..." that ensured approval of corresponding action plan.
At the governmental session Minister of Trade and Social Protection of Population Gulshara Abdykalikova said her ministry was putting the finishing touches to the "Regions' Employment Map".
"The document will reflect the situation at the regional labor markets, dynamics of employment of hired help and self-employed population, including the employment situation in rural areas," she said.
In addition, she noted that Kazakhstan would create all necessary conditions so that mothers with many children could combine work and parenting.
The Ministry of Healthcare also reported that an institute of reciprocal insurance and professional liability of medical workers would be established in line with the instructions given by the Head of State in the article "Social Modernization of Kazakhstan: Twenty Steps Towards a Universal Labor Society".
However, the news that there would be created consultation centers for those willing to self-medicate announced by the Ministry was the most surprising. Ms. Abdykalikova explained those steps were taken in order to implement the President's instructions.
As was reported earlier, President Nazarbayev charged the Ministry of Healthcare to introduce new mechanisms of raising the awareness among citizens of the country on use of pharmaceuticals by the end of 2012.