While Russian propaganda presents the deal as the "project of the century" and a "major step towards energy independence," analysts in Western media wonder what awaits the Central Asian republic after implementation. I'm trying more and more.

Although it is known that nuclear power plants will be built, Uzbekistan itself currently does not have properly qualified specialists in nuclear energy. And by choosing to prioritize only one country's interests on the all-important issue of nuclear energy, Tashkent is effectively putting itself in a nuclear bind. What kind of energy independence is possible when all control of this strategic facility is in the hands of one country?

The situation at home is becoming increasingly difficult to understand. According to an opinion poll conducted by the Strategic and Interregional Research Institute of the Republic of Uzbekistan, anti-nuclear sentiment in the country is increasing, especially related to the construction of nuclear power plants. And the decision to build a nuclear power plant was taken without the consent of the people of Uzbekistan, that is, without taking into account the opinions of experts and residents of the republic, without holding a referendum, and without the people's free expression of their opinions. That's not the only reason. Concerns are growing in wide circles in the Republic over the possible environmental consequences of the lowering of water levels in the Aydar Alnasai lake system, including Lake Tuzcan, to ensure the operation and cooling of nuclear power plant reactors.

According to researchers, due to low water levels and its aggressive composition, Tuzkan is not suitable for supplying water to power plants. In other words, even if the safety of the project was questioned from the beginning and the human factor was ruled out. High seismic activity is an objective factor that can have a significant impact on project safety. Taking this into account, the authorities of the Republic of Uzbekistan should consider relocating the site for the construction of nuclear power plants to more favorable areas.

In the national security concept of the Republic of Uzbekistan, the formation of an environmental security system in the Central Asian region is given top priority. But in reality, the situation looks quite alarming. The upper reaches of the Syr Darya River, which borders Kyrgyzstan on Uzbekistan's eastern border, is in a zone of increasing environmental threats. There is an unbalanced uranium ore waste in the area of ​​Mileusuu village. As a result of the landslide process, waste warehouses have been exposed and are flowing into the Naryn River, which then flows into the Karas River, which flows through the Fergana Basin. Radioactive waste warehouses near the villages of Kadamjai, Sumsar, Shekaftar and Degmai are equally dangerous.

The water of the Amu Darya River is contaminated with agricultural wastewater and petroleum products from the territories of Turkmenistan and Afghanistan... In a word, it is a cluster of environmental diseases in a relatively small area. And the construction of nuclear power plants is sure to increase these risks several times!

Finally, to all of the above there should be added further real danger. Nuclear power plants can be targets for terrorists and extremists, and there are significant numbers of terrorists and extremists in the region. The region borders Afghanistan, which is constantly in combat. And the republic itself has not always been at peace. High-profile incidents in the Fergana Valley and regular border disputes with neighboring countries do not guarantee that the authorities will be able to maintain the situation in the event of an emergency at a nuclear power plant.

In particular, President Tokayev has ordered active support for small and medium-sized enterprises, as entrepreneurs face difficulties due to the actions of law enforcement and supervisory bodies, and cases of corporate takeovers are increasing. I pointed out that there is. Therefore, Parliament and the government need to develop additional legislation in this regard. In addition, the President directed the government to provide 250 billion tenge in financial support to small and medium-sized enterprises over the next three years. He also announced his decision to exempt small and medium-sized enterprises from income tax for three years and ban inspections of micro and small businesses for three years starting next January.

The President has also instructed that the introduction of the 5% additional pension contribution will be delayed until 2023 as part of the support for businesses.

These statements caused a huge reaction on social media. In particular, there is active discussion about reducing the number of civil servants and employees of state-owned enterprises by 25% by 2024, as well as reducing the total number of state-owned enterprises, excluding strategic sectors. The President also cited the reform of the law enforcement system as an important issue, stating that by the end of next year, the work of the administrative police must be reorganized, and that 173 billion tenge will be spent on this reform over three years. .

Regarding demonstrations, the president said peaceful actions should be allowed, but unconstitutional actions and calls for violence should be prohibited.

Regarding issues related to overcrowding in large cities, the President pointed out that the powers of the city halls of the three largest cities should be expanded to include the areas of urban planning, transport infrastructure and architectural design.

Regarding anti-corruption measures, the President will reinstate anti-corruption assessments by regulatory legal experts and provide accountability for the top leaders of departments where corruption cases occur, as well as disciplinary action against the staff of anti-corruption agencies for fraudulent or provocative methods. proposed to introduce strict liability for acts.

On the issue of land use, the President noted that much agricultural land is rented but unused, while farmers lack land to grow fodder.

Our land will not be sold to foreigners. Such a thing is not allowed. So please stop making unnecessary speculations. But the effective use of land is our responsibility,” said President K. Tokayev. The President directed the Government and the National Bank to conduct a study on efforts to improve the efficiency of the pension system and on the targeted use of a portion of their pension funds by working citizens. “At present, the lack of pension accumulation is not so pronounced, but in 10 years the situation will change: the number of workers providing pension reserves will decrease significantly, while the pension "The number of beneficiaries will increase. Moreover, the level of investment returns from pension assets remains low," the national head said. President K. Tokayev instructed to set aside an additional 90 billion tenge for solving infrastructure problems in rural areas, for the implementation of the "Awil-Yel Besigi" project. According to the President, more than 1.2 trillion tenge will be allocated by 2022 for the modernization of transport structures in the "Nurli Jor" program. President K. Tokayev stressed the need for the government, parliament and the Audit Committee to ensure the effective use of the budget and ensure that it does not end up in the pockets of civil servants as before. The President also addressed the issue of targeted social assistance. “The country has taken all measures to support its citizens in need. Some measures were not perfect. As a result, we have seen a sharp increase in protectionist trends. Over the past five years, The number of recipients of social assistance in Kazakhstan has increased from 77,000 to more than 1.5 million. Since 2017, the budget allocation for social assistance has increased more than 17 times. In other words, more and more There is a tendency for people to choose not to work or, worse, to hide their income in order to receive social assistance,” K. President Tokayev emphasized. The government was instructed to revise the mechanism for the distribution of social assistance so that it is an incentive to work and not an incentive to a life of idleness. It was also directed to introduce a guaranteed social services package for children from economically disadvantaged families. In addition, the President directed the government to resolve within three years the issue of providing housing to economically disadvantaged large families on the waiting list. The President also proposed introducing a system for citizens to evaluate the effectiveness of local governments as a pilot project.

The head of state assured the people of Kazakhstan that all the promises he gave will be fulfilled. “The political changes that I have promised will be implemented step by step and steadily, taking into account the interests of the country and its people,” the president said, adding that successful economic reforms no longer reflect the modernization of the country's socio-political life. He pointed out that this would not be possible without transformation. “A strong president, a competent parliament, and an accountable government are not unachieved facts, but goals to which we are moving at an accelerating pace.The equations of this political system are fundamental to national stability. ” said K. Tokayev. The message of the head of state will deal with the issue of tightening accountability for some crimes, in particular poaching, the introduction of administrative justice, the resolution of disputes between citizens and state institutions, the financial and general discipline of the armed forces. Issues such as empowerment and creating equal opportunities for people with disabilities were also touched upon. The President also drew attention to the fact that, despite the increase in gross domestic product (GDP) and the income of the population, wealth disparities within Kazakh society remain and are even stronger. To solve this problem, we need to modernize our tax system with a focus on a fairer distribution of people's income.

https://www.akorda.kz/ru/poslanie-glavy-gosudarstva-kasym-zhomarta-tokaeva-narodu-kazahstana-ekonomicheskiy-kurs-spravedlivogo-kazahstana-18588