Deputy Prime Minister – Minister of Culture and Information of the Republic of Kazakhstan Aida Balayeva reported at the Government session on the measures being taken to implement the instructions of the Head of State announced at the V meeting of the National Kurultai.

“Yesterday, the Head of State, summing up the results of the historic mission of the National Kurultai, which occupies a special place in the life of our country, set large-scale tasks that determine the future of the state and our people. First of all, this is a historic milestone aimed at comprehensively strengthening the foundation of Independence, going beyond constitutional changes and comparable in significance to the adoption of a new Constitution,” Aida Balayeva said.

The Deputy Prime Minister noted that, as part of the implementation of the instructions of the Head of State, systematic work will continue on the key principles defined by the President: “Law and Order,” “Adal Azamat,” and “Taza Kazakhstan.” Information and explanatory work will also be strengthened to promote state symbols and spiritual, moral, and family values.

The Ministry of Culture and Information will carry out work on the detailed regulation of the procedure for the use of state symbols by legal entities and individuals. Necessary amendments will be introduced into regulatory legal acts, and visual methodological materials will be prepared. As part of the instruction of the Head of State, additional incentive measures will be developed for citizens who demonstrate special respect for state symbols.

Another important area is the promotion of historical and cultural heritage at the UNESCO level. At previous meetings of the National Kurultai, the President paid special attention to this issue and gave specific instructions. On the instruction of the Head of State, relevant work will be carried out to nominate the Zharent Mosque and the Ascension Cathedral as a single nomination, as well as the petroglyphs of the Karatau Ridge, with the aim of including them in the UNESCO World Heritage List. In accordance with UNESCO requirements, nomination documentation will be prepared in 2026–2027, after which a final decision will be made in subsequent years. To include Abai’s “Words of Edification” in the UNESCO “Memory of the World” Register, the relevant documents have been submitted for expert evaluation.

It was noted that the Head of State instructed to intensify the implementation of the initiative to launch the “National Digital Heritage” project. In this regard, the project is considered as the creation of a unified national digital platform designed to preserve, systematize, and popularize the historical, cultural, and scientific heritage of Kazakhstan. The progress of the project’s implementation will be under special control.

The Head of State also instructed to review issues related to the financing of the education and healthcare sectors, pointing out key problems and shortcomings in these areas. In this regard, specific measures will be taken. Currently, in the education sector, a new mechanism has been introduced on a pilot basis, providing for digital accounting of private schools, automation of core processes, and synchronization with the budgeting system. As a result, 785 private schools have been fully digitalized.

In order to ensure effective and targeted use of budgetary funds, a moratorium will be introduced on placing state orders in newly established private schools. State funding will be directed exclusively to those private schools where there is a real regional need. At the same time, the absence of public schools, the elimination of three-shift education, and the construction of new educational facilities to replace unsafe schools have been identified as priorities. To attract private investment in education, the mechanism for compensating investment costs without providing a state order has been retained. In parallel, the Ministry of Education, together with interested state bodies, will carry out post-licensing control of private schools. As part of this control, special attention will be paid to compliance with education quality standards, availability of teaching staff, and child safety.

“The Ministry of Healthcare, in accordance with the President’s instruction, is moving to planning medical care based on the real needs of the population, demographic and migration data. Funding volumes will be directed to the most effective public and reliable private medical organizations. In order to prevent double payments and fictitious reporting, a unified digital control system will be introduced. Data on double payments will be compared, and information from all funding sources will be integrated. Feedback from patients will be provided through a mobile application,” Aida Balayeva explained.

At the same time, according to the minister, quality control will be strengthened and licensing requirements tightened. These measures are aimed at forming a fair, transparent, and effective financing system, as well as improving the quality of public health. The mandatory social health insurance system has been transferred under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Finance. Currently, in accordance with the instruction of the Head of State, inspections are being carried out jointly with law enforcement agencies within the framework of the “Law and Order” principle.

In addition, an action plan has been approved to revise the financing mechanisms for private medical and educational organizations. The implementation of these measures will make it possible to form an open and results-oriented system. Overall, strict control will be established over the quality of services provided in the healthcare and education sectors, since the standard of living of the population directly depends on addressing these issues.

Also, taking into account the proposals of members of the National Kurultai, work continues to improve legislation in the field of mass media. In particular, the issue of restricting access of children and adolescents to social networks is being considered. The Ministry of Culture and Information has developed relevant amendments to the legislation regulating the activities of online platforms and mass media. These amendments have passed expert review and have been submitted for public discussion. For their effective implementation, it is planned, jointly with the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Development, to develop mechanisms for verifying users’ age, as well as to establish liability measures where necessary.

Special attention will be paid to improving media literacy of the population and supporting independent media. In this area, relevant work is being carried out through the commission for the development of sectoral journalism and other mechanisms. In addition, at the legislative level, the possibility of regulating the distribution of advertising revenues between online platforms and the media, as well as partially lifting the ban on advertising certain goods, will be considered.

“In general, the tasks outlined by the Head of State at the National Kurultai require systemic modernization of all areas of Government activity. These instructions are aimed at strengthening the spiritual foundations of society, ensuring social justice, developing human capital, and achieving long-term sustainable development of the state,” Aida Balayeva concluded.

#Culture #Education #Government session #Healthcare #President's instruction

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