20 August 2026, 08:00
The Government is systematically implementing the instructions of Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev aimed at large-scale modernization of key sectors of the economy and the social sphere. As part of this work, the implementation of the National Projects “Keleshek Mektepteri” and “Modernization of Rural Healthcare” has been completed, work continues on the projects “Accessible Internet” and “Modernization of the Energy and Utility Sectors,” and a new National Project “Development of Coal Generation” is being launched.
Concrete results in each of these areas are already visible in the regions. Today, around 6.3 million people have received more reliable and stable heat supply. Medical care has become accessible to 1 million residents of remote villages, while specialized and high-tech medical care has been brought closer to more than 4 million rural residents. High-quality high-speed internet and 4G and 5G connectivity cover millions of citizens and rural residents, and more than 217,000 pupils are already studying in new modern schools.
Implementation of two National Projects has been completed:
Two National Projects are in the active implementation stage:
A new National Project, work on which is being launched:
Keleshek Mektepteri: New Places for Pupils and Modern School Infrastructure
In line with the instruction of Head of State Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, the National Project “Keleshek Mektepteri” has been implemented. It is aimed at creating equal conditions for quality education, reducing the shortage of student places, eliminating three-shift schooling and emergency schools.
Over three years, 217 schools of the new format with 460,000 student places have been built under the project: 105 schools were commissioned in 2024 and 112 in 2025. As a result, the problem of 54 three-shift and 12 emergency schools has been fully resolved, and the shortage of student places has been reduced in more than 100 schools. A significant share of the facilities was implemented in the cities of Astana, Almaty and Shymkent, as well as in the Almaty, Turkestan, Mangystau and Kyzylorda regions.
Special attention was paid to the development of school infrastructure in rural areas. 84 schools of the new format were built in rural areas, providing more than 130,000 rural children with access to a modern and comfortable educational environment.
The area of “Keleshek Mektepteri” schools is on average 15–20% larger than that of previously used standard designs, and the level of technical equipment is more than four times higher.
The schools are equipped with modern physics, chemistry and biology classrooms, laboratories, computer rooms, STEM laboratories and robotics classrooms. Pupils are provided with mobile transformer desks and individual lockers; drinking fountains meeting sanitary standards are installed on the floors. Universal workshops, studios and classrooms for initial vocational training with full equipment are provided for the development of creative potential and professional skills.
Special attention during the implementation of the project was paid to the functionality and safety of the educational environment. Spaces in the schools are organized taking into account the age characteristics of pupils: separate blocks are provided for primary and senior grades. Enhanced safety measures are ensured through the introduction of modern technical solutions. The schools are equipped taking into account the needs of children with special educational needs.
Modern infrastructure requires appropriate teacher training. In this regard, more than 1,600 teachers this year completed practice-oriented seminars at NIS, the Republican Physics and Mathematics School and “Bilim-Innovatsiya” lyceums on STEM education, natural science subjects, robotics and digital technologies. More than 5,000 teachers were covered by training jointly with the National Center for Professional Development “Orleu” on subject training, digital technologies, artificial intelligence, inclusive education and the “Adal Azamat” program.
In parallel, work is underway to develop the managerial competencies of school leaders. The National Academy of Education named after I. Altynsarin held a Seasonal Academy “Keleshek Mektepteri” for about 200 directors, as well as a training seminar for about 200 deputy directors for educational work.
Modernization of Rural Healthcare: New PHC Facilities and Access to High-Tech Care
In line with the Head of State’s instruction, the National Project “Modernization of Rural Healthcare” has been implemented. It is aimed at solving several main tasks, including the comprehensive development and renewal of infrastructure, as well as strengthening human resources in rural areas.
In terms of providing rural settlements with primary healthcare organizations, the construction of 655 PHC facilities has been fully completed, including 260 medical posts, 235 feldsher-midwife stations and 160 medical outpatient clinics.
Of the total number, 427 new buildings were constructed to replace worn-out and emergency ones. Another 208 facilities were built in settlements where medical services had previously been provided at home due to the lack of premises, and a further 20 facilities appeared in villages where medical workers and infrastructure had previously been completely absent.
As a result, thanks to the commissioning of all 655 PHC facilities, access to medical services has been gained by an additional approximately 1 million rural residents.
At the same time, to improve the timeliness of emergency care, 32 district hospitals are being modernized into modern multidisciplinary central district hospitals (MCDHs) through major repairs, reconstruction and equipping with high-tech equipment, including CT and MRI machines, angiographs, as well as intensive care and surgical equipment. This makes it possible to create conditions for the provision of specialized and high-tech medical care to more than 4 million rural residents.
As part of staffing rural healthcare, 1,100 medical specialists have been trained to work at the new and modernized facilities.
“Accessible Internet”: Expansion of Digital Infrastructure
The National Project “Accessible Internet” provides for ensuring the population and businesses with high-speed internet at a speed of at least 100 Mbit/s. Of the 31 planned measures, 21 initiatives have already been successfully implemented to date, including in 2025: 362 villages were provided with internet via satellite communications, mobile operators installed 12 dual-purpose towers, 743 “white spots” across Kazakhstan were eliminated, and amendments were made to the laws and regulatory legal acts of the Republic of Kazakhstan aimed at improving the regulation of the communications industry, creating favorable conditions for the development of telecommunications infrastructure, accelerating the construction of fiber-optic communication lines and mobile networks, as well as reducing administrative barriers in the implementation of infrastructure projects.
Under the agreement with JSC “Kazakhtelecom” signed in June 2025, by the end of 2027 it is planned to provide high-speed internet to more than 3,000 villages covering 1.2 million people and 5,800 state facilities for a total of 239 billion tenge in extra-budgetary funds. To date, fiber-optic communication lines have been laid in 12 villages and access to the internet via satellite communications has been provided in 340 villages.
In parallel, with the support of the World Bank totaling 83.9 billion tenge, a “last mile” subsidy project is being implemented. It provides for the construction of fiber-optic communication lines directly to settlements and households in 1,123 villages, which will make it possible to provide high-speed internet to approximately 2.3 million people. Work on the construction of fiber-optic lines to households has already begun.
The mobile communications sector fulfilled its obligations to deploy 5G networks ahead of schedule, installing more than 3,618 base stations in 20 cities of the country. All villages with a population of more than 250 people — 3,807 villages — are being systematically switched to the 4G standard through the provision of tax preferences to operators; of these, 566 villages had been switched to 4G as of the first half of 2026.
In terms of the development of international infrastructure, work has begun on the laying of an underwater fiber-optic communication line along the bottom of the Caspian Sea on the Azerbaijan–Kazakhstan route (capacity up to 6 Tbit/s), construction of the “West–East” hyper-highway by Freedom Telecom has been completed to 58% (2,341 km laid), and JSC “Kazakhtelecom” is completing to 99% the construction of a new Tier III data center with 256 racks in Astana.
Modernization of the Energy and Utility Sectors: Network Renewal and Reduction of Accidents
In line with the President’s instructions, the National Project “Modernization of the Energy and Utility Sectors” was adopted in December 2024. It serves as the starting point for a large-scale repair campaign and infrastructure renewal. The document is aimed at attracting preferential financing and covers more than 200 infrastructure enterprises. The total volume of investment for 2025–2029 is planned at 13 trillion tenge, of which 6.8 trillion tenge is directed to the utility sector and 6.2 trillion tenge to the energy sector. The main indicator of the project is the reduction of network wear to 40%, which will make it possible to reduce the number of accidents by 20%.
In 2025, 547 billion tenge was allocated for the implementation of the project. With these funds, 6,600 km of engineering networks were repaired, which made it possible to remove 8 natural monopoly entities from the “red zone” of wear. In the Karaganda, Pavlodar, North Kazakhstan, Turkestan regions and the city of Shymkent, the implementation of 5 major projects has been completed. An Electronic Procurement Platform has been launched to automate procedures and select investment measures, and a Project Office has been established under the Government.
Continuing the work on infrastructure renewal, special attention is paid to the implementation of specific projects in the field of electricity and heat supply. To date, the Ministry of Energy has supported the implementation of 393 projects with a total cost of 990.9 billion tenge. Their total length is approximately 12,000 km. Of these:
– in the electricity supply sector, 256 projects totaling 541.7 billion tenge with a total length of 11,714 km are being implemented; – in the heat supply sector – 137 projects totaling 449.2 billion tenge with a total length of 314 km.
For 2026, a financing volume of 1.1 trillion tenge has been approved. Plans include the repair of 12,000 km of networks, the removal of another 8 enterprises from the risk zone, and the full-scale introduction of the Smart Turmys digital platform.
In addition, emphasis has been placed on supporting domestic manufacturers: by 2029 the demand for their products is estimated at 2 trillion tenge, and 492 domestic enterprises have already been registered on the E-Ondiris platform.
Development of Coal Generation: New Capacities and Modernization of Existing Stations
The National Project “Development of Coal Generation” for 2026–2030 was approved by the Government in implementation of the instructions of the Head of State given at the 5th meeting of the National Kurultai.
The program is designed for a five-year period and is aimed at creating a sustainable foundation for energy-intensive industries and the growing demand for computing capacity. Under the project, at least 7.5 trillion tenge is to be attracted exclusively from extra-budgetary investments using five financing mechanisms, including lending through JSC “Development Bank of Kazakhstan,” international financial organizations, second-tier banks and development institutions of the Baiterek Holding.
The tasks for the implementation of the National Project consist of the construction of new generating capacities, modernization of existing energy assets, ensuring the personnel sustainability of the industry, creation of a mechanism for sustainable and affordable financing, and a long-term and balanced fuel and logistics base for coal generation.
Under the project, the construction of eight new and the modernization of 11 existing energy sources are envisaged. In particular, the construction of CHP plants in Kokshetau (240 MW), Semey (360 MW), Ust-Kamenogorsk (360 MW), Zhezkazgan (500 MW), a TPP in Karaganda (180 MW) and Ekibastuz (350 MW), as well as a KES in Kurchatov (700 MW) and Ekibastuz (2,640 MW) is planned.
Implementation of individual projects has already begun. In Kokshetau, construction of a new CHP plant with a capacity of 240 MW of electricity and 520 Gcal/h of heat is underway. It will fully cover the city’s growing demand for thermal energy. In Semey, construction of CHP-3 began in April 2026; it will eliminate the existing deficit of thermal energy, including on the right-bank part of the city, and increase the reliability of heat supply for approximately 320,000 residents.
In total, the new heat sources in Kokshetau and Semey will provide more reliable heat supply for about 500,000 residents of the two cities.
In addition, in 2025–2026, through a tender for the construction of newly commissioned generating units, the implementers of the projects for the construction of Ekibastuz GRES-3 and the GRES in the city of Kurchatov were determined. Work is currently underway on the development of the technical documents required to start construction.
In parallel, the modernization of existing energy sources is envisaged. The work will affect Aksu GRES, Ekibastuz GRES-2, where the construction of units No. 3 and No. 4 with a capacity of 550 MW each is planned (investment agreements have already been concluded providing for the commissioning of the units no later than 2028 and 2030, respectively), stations in Shakhtinsk, Topar, Karaganda and a number of other facilities. The introduction of advanced technologies will significantly reduce equipment wear, decrease environmental emissions and form a sustainable personnel and fuel base for the industry.
Thus, the comprehensive implementation by the Government of the National Projects contributes to the renewal of the country’s infrastructure and social sphere. The commissioning in the regions of Kazakhstan of hundreds of healthcare and education facilities, the modernization of utility networks, the attraction of extra-budgetary investments in the energy sector and the development of telecommunications infrastructure create a reliable foundation for improving the quality and acc
#Economy #Education #Energy #Healthcare #Infrastructural development #President's instruction #Regions
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