Dear compatriots!
The world situation remains difficult. Almost 800,000 people in 177 countries have been infected. The dynamics of diseases is growing daily, apparently approaching its peak.
The virus tests the strength of all States.
Kazakhstan was one of the first to take the necessary measures. Thanks to the state of emergency, we were able to prevent the uncontrolled spread of the virus.
Without this, the number of infected people could be many times higher.
On my instructions, quarantine measures have been strengthened not only in the capital and Almaty, but also in all regions of the country.
I thank all Kazakhstanis for their understanding, calmness and self-control.
We will not allow panic, and citizens should support the state in this. This is more important than ever.
Today, the whole country admires the courage and perseverance of Kazakhstan’s doctors and medical workers. They are real heroes who save lives.
I have decided to take additional measures to support those who are at the forefront of the fight against the pandemic.
I think this is the least we can do for our medical staff today.
Special thanks are also due to police officers and military personnel.
Unfortunately, working and living in a state of emergency always leads to significant economic and social costs.
Many Kazakhs today are faced with great difficulties. We understand this very well.
The government and akims have already started implementing the first package of anti-crisis measures.
Understanding the urgency of the situation, I decided to take further steps to support citizens and businesses.
First. I instruct you to index pensions and state benefits, including targeted social assistance, by 10% in annual terms.
This means an increase in the income of the corresponding categories of our citizens for a total amount of more than 200 billion tenge.
Second. I am instructing you to expand the coverage of additional social benefits in the amount of one minimum wage, as I mentioned on March 23.
I believe that this money – 42500 tenge-should be received not only by those who previously had an official job and salary. We need to help our citizens who were and are self-employed or worked informally.
To do this, they just need to formalize their status, after which they will receive a monthly social payment from the state for the entire period of emergency.
There are reasonable concerns that some citizens, having sufficient unofficial income, will still be registered to receive this payment.
If you remember, we have already faced a similar situation.
But because of some unconscionable people, we cannot put hundreds of thousands of really needy fellow citizens at risk.
In General, the measures I expressed on March 23 and today will cover about 3 million of our citizens.
The third. I instruct you to extend from April 1 to July 1 the right of uninsured citizens to receive medical care in the system of mandatory social health insurance.
During this period, the service of citizens in medical institutions should be carried out in full, regardless of the status of a participant in the OSMS.
The fourth. It is necessary to expand the list of categories of citizens who should be provided with free food and household kits.
Such a package of assistance should be additionally provided to disabled people of the 1st, 2nd, 3rd groups, disabled children and officially registered unemployed.
This measure will cover more than 800 thousand people.
Moreover, you need to approve the minimum size of such sets in physical terms.
It is important to involve local small and medium-sized businesses for production and delivery.
The government needs to attract domestic IT companies to develop a platform that will provide an effective mechanism for monitoring targeted spending of social support funds.
In the future, you need to gradually move from natural kits to transferring funds for self-selection and purchase.
The fifth. It is extremely important to conduct spring field work in a timely manner.
70 billion tenge will be allocated from the budget and brought to farmers through JSC “agricultural credit Corporation”. The rate for final borrowers will not exceed 5%.
I instruct you to allocate an additional 100 billions for these purposes within the framework of the «Economy of simple things» program. The final rate under this program has been unified across all industries and is 6%.
First of all, it is necessary to support small and medium-sized farms.
In addition, I set the Government the task of reducing the price of diesel fuel for agricultural producers to 165 tenge per liter, or 15% of the market price.
From the point of view of food security, every day is now critical.
The sixth. Due to the quarantine measures introduced around the capital, the cities of Almaty and Shymkent, there is an excess of the able-bodied population, primarily young people.
The government and akims should immediately start specific projects in these regions within the framework of the employment roadmap.
People should have a source of income so that they do not sit at closed barriers without means of livelihood.
Citizens who are ready to go to work within the framework of the «employment Roadmap» will be provided with a «lift» in the amount of 2 minimum wage or 85,000 tenge immediately after arrival at the place of work.
Not in return, but in addition to regular wages.
Mobile recruitment centers will be deployed, within which akimats will conduct explanatory work, express testing for coronavirus, collection and transportation of employees to their new job.
And of course, employers are obliged to provide all those employed under the business Roadmap with decent working conditions and means of protection.
The seventh. I have already published measures aimed at supporting small medium businesses. This includes tax preferences, deferred payments on loans, and much more.
As for the proposals of representatives of small and medium-sized businesses.
A large number of them have been supported and are already being implemented by state agencies. This applies to expanding the types of activities that are recognized as priorities for state support, reducing and unifying the loan rate, and increasing the volume of state guarantees.
The financial regulation Agency is working with banks and other financial organizations to defer and restructure payments on medium-sized businesses loans.
I would like to focus on this issue separately.
Many entrepreneurs ask to order banks not to charge interest on loans for the period of emergency.
It should be understood that this is a lost profit or loss for banks. Banks are also an integral part of our economy.
Therefore, I once again appeal to the second-tier banks to show constructivism, civic responsibility and solidarity.
In difficult times for banks, the state provided them with significant assistance. Now you need to support the population and domestic business.
However, if necessary, additional policy measures can be taken by the state.
In General, if the situation deteriorates further, the Government and financial regulators will take measures to address this issue.
Further. Our entrepreneurs need additional support in terms of reducing the tax burden. This is particularly important in terms of maintaining employment and paying salaries.
Therefore, for MSBs in the most affected sectors of the economy for 6 months (from April 1 to October 1 this year), the accrual and payment of taxes and other payments from the payroll is canceled.
These sectors include: catering, individual trade sectors, transport services, consulting services, IT sector, hotel business, tourism, etc.
The state Commission for emergency situations will approve the final list and update it as necessary.
In the appeal of entrepreneurs, I also noted the request for non-deduction of any taxes for the period of the crisis.
On this issue, I would like to note the following.
An operational decision was made. on my instructions, the Government suspended the payment of all taxes for MSBs for three months.
That is, at the moment, the design is such that you do not have to pay taxes during this period, but you will have to pay later.
At the same time, we are carefully studying the situation in the economy. Depending on what it is, we will make a final decision.
Further. The government is working with partners in the Eurasian Economic Union to reset import duties for our most important imports.
The decision on personal protective equipment, raw materials for their production, vaccines, and diagnostic kits has already been made. We are still working to reduce import duties on a number of food products for which we are not self-sufficient.
The government should ensure that the requests of domestic business are taken into account and speed up this work.
It is also crucial to tap the potential of local small and medium-sized businesses.
Akimats and the Government (through the “State food Corporation”) should establish a mechanism for guaranteed purchase of products from domestic agricultural and processing enterprises for at least 6 months in advance, i.e., introduce the so-called “forward purchase” or “purchase for the harvest”.
It is necessary to define a clear mechanism for integrating enterprises along the entire chain-from the field to the counter and provide them with preferential loans.
Business, in turn, must assume counter-obligations to ensure output, maintain prices, maintain employment, etc.
The eighth. To implement this package of measures, I instruct the Government and the National Bank to use all necessary sources of funds, including the state social insurance Fund, the resources and tools of the National Bank.
The funds of the National Fund created by our First President, Elbasy, should be spent rationally.
In order to quickly and precisely bring funds to the real economy we should not exclude the possibility of direct financing through state development institutions: “Baiterek”, “agricultural credit Corporation” and others.
This mechanism, along with other preferences, should be aimed at helping medium-sized fast-growing companies with an export focus. These companies can act as our “locomotives” in the post-crisis period.
Further. Taking into account the volume of financial resources and the scale of anti-crisis measures, issues of ensuring targeted and effective spending of allocated funds, compliance with the principles of openness and transparency in providing support to citizens and businesses are of particular importance.
This task is assigned to the accounts Committee. We also need to involve regional audit commissions and public councils in this work.
The special conditions of the state of emergency should be taken into account.
Dear Kazakhstanians!
I understand that life has put each of us in difficult conditions.
But the coronavirus epidemic is a temporary phenomenon, and we will definitely overcome it.
The unity and cohesion of our society gives us strength and confidence that together we will overcome all difficulties!
Individual words of support are addressed to patients with coronavirus. Don’t despair! Despite all the danger, this disease is not absolutely fatal, it is cured. We, the state and society, will do our best to help you.
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