President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev made an important statement on the revision of the social support system. According to the head of state, 88 trillion tenge has been allocated to the social sector over the past seven years, but certain types of payments represent not effective assistance but a waste of budget funds. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
Kassym-Jomart Tokayev emphasized that the 88 trillion tenge allocated over the past seven years should be regarded as direct state investments in improving the quality of life of citizens.
Particular success has been achieved in healthcare and school meals. Since 2019, 1,259 new medical facilities have been built in the country, which has increased access to quality care in rural areas and remote regions.
"The Constitution clearly establishes the right to a guaranteed volume of free medical care. More than a thousand free types of medical services are available to our citizens. Without exaggeration, this is an absolutely unique format of social support for the population. In addition, more than 1.7 million students are provided with free hot meals in all schools," the president noted.
At the same time, the head of state critically assessed the expanded system of benefits. According to him, far from all state payments reach recipients or bring real benefit to society, turning into meaningless spending of the treasury.
The government has already begun a large-scale audit and optimization of all existing assistance mechanisms.
"There are a large number of social benefits in Kazakhstan, but certain types of payments represent rather a waste of funds. In this regard, the government is currently conducting a detailed analysis of this area and examining the situation," Kassym-Jomart Tokayev summarized.
Recall that state benefits in Kazakhstan will be calculated in a new way from January 1, 2027. Need-based criteria will be introduced for ten main state payments, including benefits related to the birth of a child, loss of a breadwinner and disability – if the family of a potential recipient lives in prosperity, they may be left without payments altogether.