Kazakhstan, Astana, Dec. 5 / Trend D. Mukhtarov /
A group of Kazakh Majilis (lower chamber of parliament) deputies , including Dariga Nazarbayeva (the daughter of Kazakh president), appealed to Prime Minister Serik Akhmetov on Wednesday with the issue on revising subsistence minimum in the country.
"According to the law, the subsistence minimum in Kazakhstan is set at 17.439 tenge ($ 1 - 150 tenge). This amount is the basis of the minimum wage and the minimum pension. Therefore, the correct determination of the market basket and share of services must surely comply with the prices and reality, " a Majilis deputy Olga Kikolenko said, speaking on the behalf of a group of MPs at the regular session of Majilis on Wednesday.
The .law of Kazakhstan 'On subsistence minimum' is being implemented in Kazakhstan since 1999. Article 2 defines the minimum consumer basket, which consists of 43 items of food and a fixed fraction of the cost of non-food goods and services.
"However, according to the latest information of Institute of Nutrition, improving calculation methodology of food in subsistence minimum in Kazakhstan is required, which would increase the cost of the food basket as well as services," Kikolenko said.
The deputy recalled that, seven years have passed since the last revision of subsistence minimum in Kazakhstan, while in accordance with international practice, the minimum subsistence has to be reviewed every five years.
According to the deputies, today there is a need to develop a system of social standards, determining the state guarantees, which should contain the minimum and extended key parameters and quality of life indicator : the level of wages, pensions and benefits, the amount of guaranteed medical services. All this is certainly based on the minimum subsistence, the system of its reform and regulation.
"We appeal to the government of Kazakhstan with the question whether improvement of the calculation methodology of food in the subsistence minimum is planned, and whether the ratio of food and non-food parts of minimum subsistence will be revised," the Majilis deputy said.