BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 28. Kazakhstan must build a digital economy, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev said in his Address to the People of Kazakhstan, according to the presidential press service.
"Next, Kazakhstan is obliged to create a digital economy. As realists who properly assess our capabilities, we must use all the best that new technologies can offer for the well-being of our people," Tokayev said.
He noted that construction of the core infrastructure for the comprehensive Digital Qazaqstan strategy had already begun.
"Two supercomputers have been launched, and a third powerful supercomputer will be commissioned by the end of the year. The laying of a fiber-optic backbone cable along the bottom of the Caspian Sea has been completed, and data centers are being built," he said.
Tokayev added that these projects represented only a small part of the country's digital transformation efforts.
"We are at the beginning of a long journey leading to a new technological order. To keep pace with the times, we need to focus on achieving practical results," he said.
However, he acknowledged that there was still more talk than action, with digitalization sometimes being replaced by the automation of existing processes or the organization of various events.
"Digitalization must not be reduced to purchasing expensive software products without understanding their practical benefits," Tokayev said.
He noted that Kazakhstan had only begun work on the commercialization of artificial intelligence, asset tokenization, blockchain technologies and digital platform ecosystems. The government is to develop a program for the practical application of digitalization in the economy.
Tokayev also pointed to the widespread use of marketplaces, food delivery services, taxi-booking applications and banking services in Kazakhstan, noting that the country had outpaced many seemingly advanced countries in some areas.
"We have everything necessary to give a powerful boost to the development of a truly highly productive digital economy. Our young people are educated and creative, internet access is available in the country, and developed digital infrastructure has been established," he said.
He added that citizens could already open bank accounts, arrange installment payments or purchase goods from home within minutes.
According to Tokayev, the next stage of digitalization should focus on expanding people's capabilities rather than simply providing access to services.
"Our goal is to build a truly people-centered digital economy," he said.
He stressed that the internet should be viewed not only as a space for consumption and entertainment, but also as a virtual platform for productive activity and work. Smartphones, he added, should become effective work tools rather than merely leisure devices.
Tokayev said the government would establish a simplified legal regime for digital employment by the end of the year.
He also stressed that people's opportunities to participate in the digital economy should not depend on where they live.
"Citizens living in rural areas and cities alike must learn to use smartphones as tools for earning a legitimate income," he said.
The government should combine existing state support measures for entrepreneurship with the capabilities of private marketplaces, banks, logistics companies and digital services. In addition to loans and subsidies, further digital tools are needed to support the production and sale of goods, Tokayev said.
Next year, the government, together with the business community, is to launch pilot digital development projects in several regions to help rural producers market their products. Successful practices should subsequently be expanded to all regions.
Tokayev also called for the full use of asset tokenization, or the transfer of assets into the digital environment.
"This will allow citizens to become co-owners of companies and various assets, while enabling entrepreneurs to attract capital directly, without excessive intermediaries," he said.
Tokayev said the strategic goal of building a people-centered digital economy was to use modern technologies to improve the well-being of every citizen.
