The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection of the Population said that the minimum wage should be gradually increased. The head of the department, Birzhan Nurymbetov, answered questions from journalists about his opinion on the level of salaries in Kazakhstan.
"I am not positive about the level of wages in the country. According to the statistics committee, our average wage in the country is almost 200 thousand tenge. This is before taxes, which means they get even less money, and 77% of the working population, whose average was 200 thousand tenge, receive less," he said.
The minister acknowledged that wages in the country are low.
"I always advocate, first of all, to increase the income of the population. Hence the issues of TSA and social security. Therefore, we work within the framework of social partnership so that employers systematically go to increase wages," he explained.
The head of the department noted that now the only indicator in the Labour Code, which is regulated by law, is the minimum wage.
"To which I am also critical. Today we have a small one. We believe that it is necessary to raise it step by step. Of course, now is not the time, this is an expenditure measure. But nevertheless, the document on the country's strategic development until 2025 is phased. We have pledged an increase in the minimum wage," the minister stressed.
Nurymbetov told to what level his department wants to come.
"At the request of the International Labour Organisation, the normal level is 50% of the average salary. The minimum wage in Kazakhstan of 42.5 thousand tenge from the average of 200 thousand tenge comprises about 21%. If we are talking about the growth of the average salaries in the country, it is in this percentage that we must increase the minimum wage. That is, if our average salary is 400 thousand tenge, then the minimum wage should be 120 thousand tenge, this is 30%. We must strive for such standards," the minister summed up.
Earlier, the Ministry of Labour told how to get a payment of 42.5 thousand tenge for July. The Ministry of Labour has proposed increasing the minimum wage to 72 thousand tenge by 2023.
By Jamilya Karimova for LS (Kazakhstan).
