KZT 327 bln to be provided for family allowances, TSA and social package for children from low-income families in 2020

The Deputy Prime Minister emphasized that since the new year, the salaries of 500 thousand teachers have been increased by 25%, 215 thousand doctors and nurses by 30% and 20% respectively, 25 thousand social workers and 34 thousand workers of culture and art and archives by 30%.

Social payments of 2.2 million retirees have been increased by 7% as well, more than 4 million recipients of various welfare payments by 5%, 132 thousand recipients of social payments from the State Social Insurance Fund by at least 30%. Total increase in salaries and social benefits covers 7.2 million people. In general, the share of social spending in the state budget has been increased from 47% to 50%.

“In the State-of-the-Nation Address, the President of the country set the task for the Government to adjust the mechanism for appointing of Targeted Social Assistance in order to ensure its transparency, justice and motivation to work, as well as introduce a guaranteed social package for children from low-income families”, Saparbayev noted.

The support for large families will be provided by paying a new state allowance to families with 4 or more minor children or full-time students under the age of 23 years. This welfare payment will be paid regardless of family income, in differentiated amounts: with 4 children - 42,496 tenge; with 5 children - 53,127 tenge; with 6 children - 63 757 tenge; with 7 or more children - 74 388 tenge. As of January 6, 367 thousand families were assigned benefits and 17 billion tenge was paid.

A number of changes were made to the Enbek state program, in particular, the organization of short-term training at the request of employers, the First Workplace and Generation Contract mechanisms were introduced, Akmola and Karaganda regions were included in the regions of departure of migrants from Almaty and admission.

Microcredit conditions have been facilitated for large families and low-income families in order to stimulate their entrepreneurial activity. Microcredits will be provided to them on favorable terms with an interest rate of not more than 4% per annum, for a period of up to 7 years. In addition, a uniform amount of state grants for all categories of the population has been established - 200 MCI (530.2 thousand tenge). At the same time, members of large and low-income families have the right to receive grants without prior training.

In the healthcare sphere, the State Program was approved until 2025, which is aimed at increasing the growth of life expectancy of Kazakhstanis from 73 to 75 years, improving the quality of medical services, attracting private investment and improving the material and technical base.

As part of the implementation of the Obligatory Social Health Insurance, the identification of the status of “insurance” of citizens and separate accounting of medical services is provided, basic medical services are included in the package of the guaranteed volume of free medical care. OSHI will increase access to high-tech medical care and reduce the “pocket expenses” of the population for medical care by an average of 1.3 times. It is also expected to increase costs per insured in 2020 by 57.5% (from 55 thousand to 87 thousand tenge).

In the education sphere, the Law “On the status of a teacher” was adopted, which provides material and non-material incentives for teachers, excludes unusual functions, and extends the rights of teachers.

In addition, the State Program was approved until 2025, aimed at improving the quality and content of education, 100% coverage of children with pre-school education from 3 to 6 years, addressing emergency and 3 shift schools, halving the gap in the quality of education in urban and rural areas, higher financing for higher education 2 times, science - 7 times.

In turn, Birzhan Nurymbetov said that in 2020, 327 billion tenge was provided for the payment of state benefits to large families, targeted social assistance and a guaranteed social package.

“In January 2020, 17.7 billion tenge is provided for the payment of benefits. These funds have already been transferred to the Government for Citizens, which, according to the schedule, will transfer money to the accounts of the recipients. Many citizens have already received benefits on bank cards”, the Minister informed.

He also emphasized that in addition to the allowance, large families will be provided with a wide range of opportunities both for working at home and for starting their own business.

The Minister noted that Kazakhstanis applying for the appointment of TSA should not worry that they will not have time to submit documents and create queues in employment centers.

“At the end of last year in all regions of the country, TSA payments for December were made in advance, which citizens should have received in January. Now, during this month, people can easily submit documents to employment centers. Everyone who meets the TSA appointment criteria will receive payments for January and February”, he explained.

At the end of his speech, the head of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population said that the delivery of guaranteed social packages for children from low-income families was worked out by local executive bodies. The issue is under the control of the Governors of all levels.