President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has called for digitalisation to deliver practical benefits and give people more opportunities to earn a living. In his annual address to the people of Kazakhstan, he criticised the substitution of automation and events for digital transformation and outlined plans for simpler rules for digital employment.
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LS reports that the government will establish a simplified legal framework for digital employment. NUR.KZ also reports the announcement, citing Akorda, and confirms that Tokayev called for a shift from access to digital services towards expanding people’s opportunities.
Tokayev calls for a shift from words to results
The president linked the next stage of digitalisation to the practical use of technology in the economy. A dedicated programme will need to be developed for this. In his assessment, work on commercial applications of artificial intelligence and the development of digital platform ecosystems has only just begun.
“To keep pace with the times, we must focus on achieving practical results. But we must acknowledge that, so far, there has been more talk than action. Real digitalisation is sometimes replaced by the automation of existing processes or the staging of various events. Digitalisation must not be reduced to buying expensive software without understanding its practical benefits.”
Meanwhile, construction of the infrastructure for the Digital Qazaqstan strategy has already begun. According to the president, two supercomputers have been launched and the laying of a fibre-optic trunk cable along the bed of the Caspian Sea has been completed. Data centres are also being built in the country.
How digital services should help producers
Tokayev proposed combining government support for entrepreneurship with the capabilities of private businesses, including marketplaces, banks, logistics companies and digital services. Alongside loans and subsidies, producers need tools to make and sell goods.
Regional pilot projects for digital development will be one area of focus. Their purpose is to help rural producers establish sales channels for their products. The president instructed officials to extend successful approaches to all regions.
He said people’s opportunities should not depend on whether they live in a village or a city. A smartphone should become a tool for earning a legitimate income. The president linked this to the transition to a digital economy for the people.
What this means for you
The president gave an example of what is already possible: opening a bank account in a few minutes without leaving home. Arranging instalment payments and buying goods are just as accessible. The next stage, he said, should expand opportunities for individual citizens.
A simplified legal framework for employment has been announced for those who earn through digital services. Rural producers have been promised help with sales through regional projects. These are the areas of work the president outlined in his address.
The government will now need to prepare a programme for the practical use of digitalisation in the economy and launch pilot projects in partnership with businesses. According to Tokayev, national companies and the creative industries should also take part in building a digital economy based on artificial intelligence.
