On July 10, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev held an enlarged meeting with members of the government and regional akims (mayors), Toppress.kz correspondent reports.
To solve urgent issues in the fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, 150 billion tenge will be allocated from the government and regional budgets. The main task is to stop the transmission of coronavirus and its further spread, and achieve positive results in the treatment of patients, he said addressing the meeting participants.
At the moment we need to address the shortage of drugs and increase in their prices. We should urgently resolve this situation and provide all regions with medicines. Work is underway. Now we need a result. It is necessary to conduct an investigation to hold all those guilty of crimes related to the above-mentioned issues accountable. Heads of the Compulsory Medical Insurance Fund and SK-Pharmacy Company should be fired or, if needed, brought to justice, he stressed.
In Tokayev’s words, the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the emergence of new niches and opportunities. Therefore, he urged the government to create competitive export goods and ensure their delivery to the markets in the shortest possible time.
The country’s economy as a whole fell by 1.8%. Since the beginning of the year, the national economy has been in difficult conditions. Quarantine and lower oil prices led to a sharp reduction in budget revenues. Losses of the national budget revenues for 2020 are estimated at 1.7 trillion tenge. At the moment, budget stability is achieved through transfers from the National Fund, he noted.
Having admitted the former leadership of the Health Ministry made serious mistakes in dealing with coronavirus, President Tokayev instructed the government and the National Bank to work out a package of additional measures to support industries and the population.
If the situation does not improve in two weeks, the question of the present government’s incompetence will arise, he said.
