ASTANA, WNAM MONITORING: President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev highlighted the nation’s key developments in 2024 in his New Year address, saying the past year has been eventful for Kazakhstan and was “marked by important developments.
“On this truly family-oriented holiday, I first and foremost wish peace and prosperity to our country and well-being to all our fellow citizens. This past year has been eventful, marked by important developments. The comprehensive reforms we have initiated have yielded their first fruits,” said Tokayev in his 10-minute address.
Economic development
“We have taken decisive steps to implement our new economic course. The manufacturing industry has been developing rapidly, major industrial enterprises have been launched, and the investment climate has improved,” he said.
The latest data from the Kazakh Ministry of Economy shows the nation’s GDP grew 4.4% in 11 months of 2024. Among the sectors, agriculture and construction demonstrate the strongest growth. Trade increased by 8.2%, transport services by 8.1%, and the manufacturing industry by 5.3%. In 2024, Kazakhstan was listed 35th among 67 nations in the World Competitiveness Ranking of the International Institute for Management Development (IMD).
“Thousands of kilometers of roads have been reconstructed, and the country’s longest bridge has been built. Our agricultural producers have harvested a record crop,” he added.
International image
Tokayev emphasized the growing influence of Kazakhstan on the world stage, with Astana hosting landmark summits of international organizations.
“The World Nomad Games, organized at the highest level, gathered thousands of athletes and foreign guests. These competitions demonstrated to the world the uniqueness and originality of the nomadic civilization,” said Tokayev. “Thanks to the victories of Kazakhstan’s athletes, our turquoise flag flew proudly at the Olympic and Paralympic arenas. Our school students also won many medals at international academic competitions.”
Solidarity of the nation
Tokayev also mentioned the devastating floods that hit the nation in spring. Thousands of people had to be evacuated.
“Despite these difficulties, our people demonstrated solidarity and unwavering unity. All those affected received the necessary assistance. The state left no one without attention, fulfilling all its obligations,” he said.
What’s ahead?
Tokayev said he would “do everything” in his power to “make the coming year even more productive.”
“We will continue systemic reforms and carry out all our planned initiatives,” he said.
“The government must carry out effective work to ensure the steady growth of our economy. We need to launch new production facilities, improve conditions for doing business, continue building roads, and address issues in the utilities sector,” he said.
The government should also continue harnessing the power of digital technologies, including artificial intelligence.
“The main goal of all this work is to improve the well-being of our citizens,” said Tokayev.
