Today during working trip to Mangystau region Minister of labor and social protection of population of Kazakhstan Tamara Duissenova held a seminar-meeting on issues of realization of the program of development of productive employment and mass entrepreneurship, the forthcoming increase in pensions and benefits and the introduction of targeted social assistance in the new format.

The event was attended by akim of the region Yeraly Tugzhanov, akims of cities, districts, rural districts, representatives of the party "Nur Otan" and the Regional chamber of entrepreneurs "Atameken", public bodies, heads of employment centers and services, etc.

At the beginning of his speech the head of the MLSP RK reminded that from 1 January 2017 in Kazakhstan, the program on the development of productive employment and mass entrepreneurship (hereinafter - the program), which provides: mass training and skills in occupations in demand and the basics of entrepreneurship, creation of conditions for mass entrepreneurship through credit, the development of the labor market through promotion of employment and support labor mobility.

In the first part of the program will be organized free vocational training on the basis of the colleges with a training period to 2.5 years, especially for young people who after finishing school are not enrolled in educational institutions. This year it is planned to extend technical and vocational education more than 21 thousand young people of Kazakhstan.

"The state will fully cover the cost of tuition, pay a stipend to reimburse expenses for travel and accommodation and will also provide disposable hot meals for students in institutions of technical and vocational education," - said Tamara Duissenova.

In addition, the colleges, training centers of the PCE "Atameken" and the training centers of the enterprises will be conducted short-term vocational training courses (1 to 6 months).

To ensure availability of training to citizens living in remote rural areas, will be organized mobile training centers: in the form of mobile systems with special classes in Akmola, Aktobe, East Kazakhstan, Mangistau and Kostanay regions; on the basis of small schools in remote rural localities; on the basis of employers.

"I want to emphasize, if we had taught only at the request of employers, but now we will teach in-demand professions, attracting to the learning process masters of their craft, which will give more practice. The proportion will be approximately 30% of teaching time – the theory and 70% practical training", - said the head of the MLSP RK.

Tamara Duissenova noted that the loans for the program participants in the cities will be issued by the Fund "Damu", and in the villages and small cities Fund support for agriculture and Agrarian credit Corporation. The amount of the granted credits increased to 8 thousand MCI (up to KZT 18 million) with a period of 5 years (the livestock and agricultural cooperatives up to 7 years) and annual interest rate to 6%. For loans through the Agricultural credit Corporation introduces the mechanism of loan guarantee: up to 85% for start-up entrepreneurs and up to 50% for existing.

The third direction of the program provides for increased targeted support in employment of certain categories of citizens, increase of mobility of labor resources and development of infrastructure of the labor market.

"We will continue to use tools such as youth practice and social jobs and public works that are in demand among young people, women and persons with disabilities. To improve labor mobility provides for the provision of state support measures to persons who voluntarily relocated to the regions defined by the Government. In particular, they will be provided funds for initial adaptation and for reimbursement of expenses for travel and baggage. This year's planned subsidies for relocation 2.7 thousand citizens", - informed the Minister.

This year, budget expenditures on the program amounted to 85.3 billion, including 2.2 billion tenge will be allocated in Mangystau oblast. In the region of the active employment promotion measures in the framework of the program planned to cover more than 5,6 thousand people.

"Great attention will be paid to the unemployed and unproductive self-employed citizens. Our Ministry, on the basis of official statistical data generated in the context of rural settlements of the list of persons belonging to these categories. This list has already been sent to all regions. Akims of rural settlements is necessary in the shortest terms to carry out work to clarify their status - do they belong to the unemployed category or to the category of unproductive self-employed. The status of each citizen will enable us to take targeted measures to engage the unemployed and unproductive self-employed in active measures to promote employment, as well as clearly identify the number of people for whom contributions to the Fund of mandatory social health insurance will list the state," - said Tamara Duissenova.

The Minister also told in detail about the upcoming increase in pensions and benefits.

So, according to the head of the MLSP RK, the size of solidary pensions will be increased by 11%, subject to a 9% increase at the beginning of the year. The basic pension will be increased by 13%, inclusive of a 7% increase at the beginning of the year. Thus, from 1 July 2017 will ensure the increase of pensions up to 20% compared to the level of 2016.

"This increase applies to all pensioners, or more than 2 million people, of which over 45 thousand are residing in Mangystau region. If the minimum pension (including basic pension) from 1 January 2017 is KZT 40 950, from 1 July 2017 it would rise to KZT 45 711. The average pension (including basic pension) will increase from 60 167 KZT (from January 1, 2017) to KZT 66 676 from 1 July 2017," - said Tamara Duissenova.

The level of lump sum state benefits in connection with childbirth from 1 January 2017 increased by 7%, and from 1 July 2017 will be increased by 20%. As a result, in 2017, compared to 2016 growth will reach 27%.

"If in 2016, the state allowance for the birth of the first, second and third child was KZT 66 621, from January 1, 2017, his size was KZT 71 270, and from July 1 will rise to KZT 86 222. The state allowance for the birth of the fourth or more children in the current year amounted to KZT 111 035, and from 1 January 2017, it will rise to KZT 118 783 from 1 July 2017 - the size will be equal to KZT 142 947," - said Tamara Duissenova.

In addition, the head of the MLSP RK briefed the participants on how to be appointed by the targeted social assistance from 1 January 2018.

"Next year in Kazakhstan will be introduced a new procedure for the provision of targeted social assistance (hereinafter - TSA) to families with incomes below 50% of the subsistence minimum (currently 40%) on each member of the family, with the condition of mandatory participation of able-bodied family members in active measures to promote employment. TSA will be granted in replacement of existing: special state allowances (further - SSA) families with many children; state child allowances till 18 years for low-income families; targeted social assistance to low-income households," said the Minister.

The new TSA will be classified into 2 types: unconditional and conditional cash assistance.

Unconditional cash assistance will be provided to those families in which no able-bodied members (e.g., families of disabled or elderly pensioners), or families of able-bodied members of which for objective reasons are unable to participate in measures promoting employment (for example, a single mother with children of preschool age). For these families, mandatory participation in employment measures for benefits is not required.

Conditional cash assistance will be given to families, having in its composition at least one able-bodied member, subject to the conclusion of the social contract and mandatory participation of all able-bodied family members in employment promotion measures.

In 2014, new approaches to social assistance have been approved in Akmola, East Kazakhstan and Zhambyl regions where it was implemented the pilot project "Orleu", providing conditional cash assistance to persons who have signed the social contract. From 1 July 2015 similar regional pilot projects additionally launched in 38 districts and cities at the expense of local budgets. So, in 2015, the project "Orleu" participated 20,2 thousand persons.

In 2016, the project "Orleu" was attended by 38.8 thousand people. The project implementation contributed to the increase of per capita income of its participants by more than 2 times; the involvement of the order of 90.5% of the working participants in measures to promote employment; to reduce the recipients of targeted social assistance in pilot regions by 24.7%.

For further implementation of the project in 2017, the national budget provided 7.1 billion. This year the pilot project "Orleu" is planned to involve about 150 thousand low-income citizens from all districts and cities of the country.

Today the Minister will get acquainted with the work of entrepreneurs service center and PSC Aktau, and will also visit the city center of employment of the population, where will be presented the information system "e-People" and the regional employment program "New brandish".

In addition, during the working trip of Tamara Duissenova plans to visit centres of employment and services Munaily district of the Mangystau region and to learn about the activities of the akim of the Baskuduk village in preparation for the implementation of the information system "e-People".

At the end of the working trip the head of the MLSP RK will inspect the progress of construction work of the hostel for 500 places, which is being built in the framework of the regional program for enhancing labor mobility and voluntary resettlement of people in the deficit regions "Orken".

Recall that in may 2015 in Akmola region in a pilot mode was started the program "Automated workplace of akim of rural district" (hereinafter – AWARD), allowing for a level rural district to organize the unemployed, self-employed, low-income citizens and employees; to make the balance of labor resources; to define targeted measures to promote employment of the target groups; to determine the internal labor migration; to formalize unproductive self-employed citizens; to systematize data on existence of personal subsidiary farm of each family. From October 2016 AWARD was launched in Aktobe region.

To date, AWARD implemented in 13 rural districts of Arshaly district (covering 25 thousand 382 people) and 8 rural districts Korgalzhyn region (covering 7 thousand 585 people) and Akmola region. In Aktobe region the program is implemented in 12 districts (150 rural districts covering 402 thousand 139 people).

In connection with the successful approbation on the basis of AWARD was established more large-scale information system "e-People" which allows you to cover not only rural districts, but also cities of the Republic.