Digital Kazakhstan programme: cooperation with foreign countries (REVIEW)

1 March, 2018 17:46

In January, Kazakhstan's President Nursultan Nazarbayev delivered a speech to the people, in which he outlined the new development opportunities in the conditions of the fourth industrial revolution. According to Nazarbayev, the world enters the era of the fourth industrial revolution, an era of profound and rapid changes - technological, economic and social ones. The task of entering the top 30 of the most developed countries in the world is realized through the Kazakhstan 2050 Strategy and the National Plan “100 concrete steps”, 60 of which have already been taken, and the rest are of a long-term nature and are implemented systematically. The Industrialization Programme and the comprehensive programme “Digital Kazakhstan” are also implemented.

The Digital Kazakhstan state programme was approved in December 2017. It is an important programme that aims to improve the standard of living of every Kazakh citizen through the use of digital technologies. The programme will be implemented within five years from 2018 until 2022 in five key areas: digitisation of the economy, transition to digital government, implementation of the Digital Silk Road, human capital development and creating an innovation ecosystem.

“Only two months have passed since the adoption of the Digital Kazakhstan programme. However, our citizens are already observing tangible results”, The Astana Times writes.

For example, there is a digital farm in North Kazakhstan region, where a computer automatically calculates the volumes of feed and the time of feeding. There are also tangible results in healthcare: an electronic health passport is being created for each patient, which will allow the patient’s entire medical history to be stored online.

The advanced countries applying digitalization in the national economy are China, Singapore, New Zealand, South Korea and Denmark. China in its program "Internet plus" integrates the digital industry with traditional, Canada creates ICT hub in Toronto, Singapore forms the "smart economy", the driver is becoming ICT, South Korea in the "Creative Economy" focuses on the development of human capital, entrepreneurship and dissemination of ICT achievements, and Denmark focuses on the digitalization of the public sector.

Kazakhstan is interested in cooperation with these countries, adopting their experience. In turn, such countries as Singapore, China, Russia, UK also are willing to interact with our country.

So, recently Chairwoman of the foreign affairs committee of the Senate Dariga Nazarbayev has visited Singapore with the aim to enter into cooperation with this country.

According to Kazakh TV, Singapore is interested in cooperation with Kazakhstan in digital modernization of economies. During the meetings with Singapore’s leadership, government, parliament and large companies, particular attention was paid to discussing the topics of digital modernization of economies, ensuring cybersecurity, developing smart cities, participation of Singaporean financial institutions in activities of the Astana International Financial Center, as well as training the young generation of leaders in both countries.

Deputy Director of the Institute of Internet Development Ekaterina Lobanova, speaking with Vestnik Kavkaza about the interaction of Russia and Kazakhstan in the IT sphere, noted: "We are part of the Eurasian Union, and we need to come to a common understanding, including on e-commerce, regulate customs duties and import of goods to be on an equal footing. In addition, interstate cooperation, which can also be reduced to paperless technologies, is interesting. Now Russia is five years ahead of Kazakhstan in developing a digital economy. But Nazarbayev's address is in line with what is happening in Russia, with Russia's development, with the priority sectors of development noted in our document on the digital economy development. The programs are complementary. I think that our colleagues will catch up soon, and we will move forward together.

Newly appointed Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland to Kazakhstan Michael Gifford met with Chairman of the Mazhilis Nurlan Nigmatulin.

“Speaking about the main tasks set by the Head of State in his January Address, Nurlan Nigmatulin underlined Kazakhstan's interest in strengthening partnership with Great Britain in the field of innovative technologies and digitalization. According to him, the country is also interested in Britain's experience in terms of legislative support of the digital economy development, provision of digital services, operation of innovative centers and start-ups”, Kazinform reads.

It is noteworthy that President Nursultan Nazarbayev stressed that the implementation of the Digital Kazakhstan state programme is the government’s main task. The Digital Kazakhstan programme, part of the nation’s effort to build and promote digital infrastructure nationwide, is expected to create 300,000 work places by 2022.

Saltanat Suraganova

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