Astana. May 15. KAZINFORM /Balym Issenova/ This year People’s Democratic Party Nur Otan celebrates its 10th anniversary. It is hardly possible to overestimate the Party's role in our country’s development and improvement of people’s lives because this leading party of Kazakhstan takes responsibility for everything in the country. The XII Congress of the Party, which has started in Astana, strikes a balance of the Party’s work. The delegates of the Congress are also to discuss the new strategy of the Party for 2009-2012 as well as a number of organizational issues. Kazakhstanis believe this Congress will be a turning point in the Party’s history and will help make it stronger and closer to the people, strengthen the people's trust in its deeds. The Nur Otan People’s Democratic Party’s authority is high with common people because the Party does its utmost to fulfill its election promises. In the past 9 years Kazakhstan has been demonstrating impressive economic growth and well-being of its citizens. In 2008 the GDP level increased 6.8 times per capita and reached nearly KZT 1 mln. In 2007 the World Bank estimated Kazakhstan as the medium-income country. KZT 1 trln 200 bln from the National Fund was utilized to support the country’s economy in 2008. One more example of people’s trust in the leading party. Let’s take the system of social protection. From January 1, 2009 the amount of state social security increased by 12 percent. The average amount of the state social security for disabled forms KZT 14.066, for families that had lost their breadwinners– KZT 12.662, for the pensioners – KZT 7.223. In accordance with the three-year national budget for 2009-2011, it is envisaged to increase the amount of state social security by nine percent annually for further improvement of the population’s living standard. 102 state medical-social establishments, 127 branches of social assistance at home for families, which raise children with disabilities, 321 branches of social assistance at home for old people and invalids, 10 rehabilitation centers for invalids function in the country. Besides, compulsory social insurance of pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood for working women was introduced. KZT 120 bln have been allotted for refinancing of mortgage loans given earlier. To date the number of the approved claims for refinancing comprises 14 111, the total sum of their refinancing is KZT 77 bln. In future, during 2009 and 2010 the revenues from the primary sector will be aimed at financing of anti-crisis activities. According to preliminary estimates, this sum will comprise around KZT 550 bln. Kazakhstan enjoys foreign investors’ confidence as well. At the XII Congress of the Party President N.Nazarbayev said that within the last months he held negotiations with our foreign partners and reached agreements on attraction of over USD 15 bln of foreign direct investments. We also know that an agreement amounting to USD 4.5 bln investments on construction of the Balkhash thermal power station has recently been signed with South Korea. At the Congress President N. Nazarbayev commissioned the Government with a number of tasks: to consider the issue of construction of pharmaceutical plants in Kazakhstan within a month. “I challenge the Government to provide 50% of domestic consumption of medicaments at the expense of domestic producers by 2014. This is quite a real deal. To date we import up to 90% of all medicines”, the Head of the State said. The President also commissioned the Government to elaborate a special program aimed at modernizing the Armed Forces. That program is to foresee the creation of corresponding modern productions in Kazakhstan.The Head of State told to provide duplication of the production and export of the metallurgic products by 2015.“Taking into account the deepening of reprocessing, establishment of new process stages, the gross value added of the metallurgy must be increased by 107% as minimum”, he said at the XII congress of the Party. N. Nazarbayev emphasized the necessity of implementation of projects on production of chlorine, caustic soda, sulfuric acid, mineral fertilizers and synthetic materials. He pointed out that work should be focused on construction of integrated gas chemical complex in West Kazakhstan. The President also focused the delegates’ attention on the production of construction materials “Kazakhstan still imports over 50% of construction materials. It is necessary to develop domestic production.By 2015 Kazakhstan should cover 80% of its needs through domestic production. Gross value added of the construction complex will be increased no less than by 76%”, the President said. Thus the Party’s main long - term challenge is to develop domestic industries - small and medium businesses in industrial and agrarian sectors of economy, implementation of measures within the program of state support of small and medium businesses. In the long run, realization of these challenges will promote to improve the Kazakhstanis’ standards of living. At the beginning of the week Astana hosted President of the Republic of Korea Lee Myung-bak who arrived with a three day official visit in Kazakhstan. President Lee Myung-bak met with Nursultan Nazarbayev, Karim Massimov, heads of a number of government bodies and representatives of business community of Kazakhstan. A number of agreements aimed at further cooperation were signed within the Kazakh-Korean business forum in Astana. Samruk-Kazyna National Welfare Fund signed memorandums of cooperation with Hyundai Corporation, International Association of Builders of Korea on cooperation in construction sphere. Memorandums of cooperation were also concluded between “Kazakhmys” Corporation and Samsung Corporation, KazMunaiGaz JSC and Hyundai Corporation, “Kazakhstan Temir Zholy” JSC and KORAIL Corporation, “Saryarka” Socio-Entrepreneurial Corporation and Korea Resources Corporation.“Kazakhtelecom” JSC and Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute of South Korea signed agreement of cooperation as well. This week the Development Bank of Kazakhstan takes part in an exhibition of domestic producers of goods and services organized by Nur Otan Party in order to promote the marketing of products and services to domestic producers. The exhibition presents information about the products produced in different areas of our economy: manufacture of machinery and equipment; metallurgy and manufacture of finished metal products; textiles and clothing; food; construction materials; services of logistics parks; paper industry and publishing;manufacture of rubber products and etc.