Report on the new government programme

The current government faces a task of "providing a higher speed of economic growth and an increase of the real incomes of the population against the precedent programme", - Kairat Kelmbetov, minister of economy and budget planning, stated today, on 24 June at a government session in Astana, reading a draft report on the new government programme that must be presented to the parliament for discussion in the nearest future.

In particular, according to the minister, "an average annual real GDP growth by 7-7.5%, an average annual growth of inflation by 4.5-5.5%, an average annual growth of industrial production by 9-9.5% are forecasted to be provided in 2003-2006". Besides, the government is going to "reduce the population with an income inferior to the cost of living by 20%". The work on increase of pensions, state welfare, salaries to the public sector workers will be continued.

Besides, the government is going to adopt a state programme of agricultural territories development and a programme of small towns development in 2003. "These programmes are meant to lower the poverty on those territories in the first place", - K.Kelimbetov observed. Also, according to him, "the priority of housing and communal construction has been defined". "In order to resolve the housing problems more actively it is necessary to increase the volume of new housing in complex with a decrease in construction costs, to provide its availability, in the first place, for the citizens with low income", - the minister stressed adding that "a programme of housing construction development will be prepared in 2003".

The head of government Danial Akhmetov explained that "as per article 67 of the Constitution of RK, the prime minister during one month after his appointment must present a report on the government programme to the parliament". "The report is made on the basis of continuity in execution of the main items of the president socioeconomic policies", - he stressed. The report approved by the government session today will be presented to the deputies at a joint session of parliament chambers on 29 June, 2003.