Today the world enters the era of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, an era of profound and rapid changes: technological, economic and social. The need to be prepared for global changes and challenges has prompted us to adopt the Kazakhstan-2050 Development Strategy, the President said.

Our long-term goals remain unchanged. This Address determines what we have to do for successful navigation and adaptation in a new world - the world of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, he went on to say.

Dear compatriots!

We have created an independent Kazakhstan, which became a brand that inspires trust and respect in the world.

In 2017, our country became a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council. In January 2018, we preside in it.

We became the first state in CIS and Eastern Europe, which the world community chose for hosting the EXPO.

A successfully functioning model of a market economy has been built in Kazakhstan.

In 2017 the country, having overcome the negative impact of the global crisis, returned to the trajectory of sustainable growth.

At the end of the year, the growth of gross domestic product was 4%, and industrial production - more than 7%. In the total volume of industry, the processing sector exceeded 40%. Poverty declined 13-fold, the unemployment rate fell to 4.9%”, the President accounted.

Nevertheless, he underscored, we must clearly realize that Kazakhstan's achievements are a reliable basis, but not a guarantee of tomorrow's success. The era of oil abundance is almost ending. The country needs a new quality of development.

Kazakhstan has everything necessary to become a leader of the new world, the President added, specifying ten tasks to this end. 

FIRST. Industrialization should become the flagship of the introduction of new technologies.

The benchmark for the manufacturing sector with high labor productivity is unchanged.

At the same time, industrialization should become more innovative, taking advantage of the new technological structure 4.0.

It is necessary to develop and test new instruments aimed at modernizing and digitizing our enterprises with a focus on exporting products. They should primarily stimulate the transfer of technology.

A pilot project on the digitization of several Kazakhstani industrial enterprises should be implemented, and then this experience should be widely spread.

It is most important to work out own ecosystem of developers of digital and other innovative solutions.

In 2018, we need to start working out third five-year industrialization, focused on the emergence of the digital era industry.

SECOND task is further development of the resource potential.

It is important to raise the requirements for energy efficiency of enterprises, as well as the environmental safety and efficiency of the energy producers themselves.

The goal was set to increase the share of alternative energy in Kazakhstan to 30% by 2030.

Today, we have 55 renewable energy sources with a total capacity of 336 MW, which in 2017 generated about 1.1 billion kWh of green energy. It is important to stimulate business, to invest in green technologies.

These and other measures will require the updating of legislation, including the Environmental Code.

THIRD focus area is Smart Technologies - a chance for a breakthrough in the development of the agro-industrial complex.

The agrarian policy should be aimed at a radical increase in labor productivity and growth in exports of processed agricultural products, development of agricultural science.

Agro-universities are required to update training programs, the President tasked. 

FOURTH task is increasing the efficiency of transport and logistics infrastructure.

The transit of goods through Kazakhstan in 2017 went 17% up and made almost 17 million tons. The task is to bring annual revenues from transit in 2020 to $ 5 billion.

FIFTH task is introduction of modern technologies in construction and utilities sector.

The provision with housing per capita has increased by 30% in the last 10 years and is 21.6 square meters at present. It is necessary to bring this figure in 2030 to 30 square meters. 

The houses and infrastructure should be equipped with intelligent management systems.

Local governors need to more actively address housing and utilities infrastructure modernization issues on the basis of public-private partnership, also work at provision of rural districts with high-quality drinking water.

SIXTH task is rebooting of the financial sector.

It is necessary to complete the clearing of the bank portfolio from bad loans.

Withdrawal of funds from banks by shareholders in favor of affiliated companies and individuals must be a grave crime.

Supervision of the activities of financial institutions by the National Bank should be tough, timely and effective, Nazarbayev bade, also instructing the National Bank to finally resolve the issue of mortgage loans to the population in foreign currency that were issued before January 1, 2016, when the law prohibited their issuance to individuals.

It is important to further improve the investment climate and development of the stock market, which is one of the main tasks of the International Financial Center "Astana".

SEVENTH focus area is human capital, the basis of modernization, which necessitates a new quality of education.

The future of Kazakhstanis, the President emphasized, is fluency in Kazakh, Russian and English languages.

Transition to the Latin alphabet is conductive to it.

EIGHTH task is effective public administration.

Nazarbayev stressed the importance to accelerate adoption of a law aimed at further deregulation of business, to continue work on improving the quality of services provided by natural monopoly entities.

Drastic measures are required to improve the business climate, especially at the regional level.

The government will prepare a new package of systemic measures to support business, pulling it out of the shadows.

NINTH focus area is fighting corruption and ensuring the rule of law.

Work must continue on strengthening the guarantees of the citizens’ constitutional rights, ensuring the rule of law, humanizing law enforcement.

In the sphere of protection of public order and security, it is necessary to actively introduce intelligent video surveillance on the streets and in crowded public places, control over traffic.

TENTH focus area is called Smart cities for the smart nation.

Basing on the experience of Astana, it is necessary to form a "reference" standard of Smart City and start spreading best practices and exchange of experience between the cities of Kazakhstan, the President tasked.