OREANDA-NEWS. On January 24, 2007 opening the forum, the President expressed one more time his deep condolences to the families and relatives of the miners perished in the accident at the Abaiskaia coal mine in the Karaganda region. The participants of the republican forum held a moment of silence in remembrance of the victims, reported the Official website www.akorda.kz.

The President emphasized it is necessary to take serious measures in order to prevent such situations in future.

“This tragedy in some degree is a result of those problems, which we must discuss today at this meeting,” the President said in his speech.

The President noted that the social responsibility of state and business is a key precondition of sustainable development.

The state ensures equal access to vital social welfare and its publicly acceptable quality for all members of the society. In this regard, minimal social state standards were set during the recent reforms. The state power is responsible for their maintenance, and constantly increases expenditures on social sphere and fights against poverty and unemployment.

“Because of this, it was possible to create an effective model of human resources development and to lay foundations for further improvement of living standards,” the President emphasized.

At this moment, Kazakhstan has conducted economic reforms and established institutes necessary for sustainable work of market economy. Kazakhstani business has an opportunity to directly participate in the legislative work of state bodies, in cooperation on concession basis, in the economy’s diversification on the principles of state-private partnership.

In the terms of social responsibility, the state has fulfilled its part and effectively performs its duties.

“Today, there is a need to identify and adopt principles of social responsibility. This is why we are discussing this important matter in such a wide and respectable auditory,’ Nursultan Nazarbayev underscored.

In the modern world, corporative social responsibility is considered not only as charity, but also as an effective activity improving the business reputation and capitalization of a company. This is a voluntary contribution of business to the social, economic and ecological development of society.

The President expressed his confidence that Kazakhstan is about to enter such a development stage, when it must to intensively work on the development of this trend including the promotion of principles of the UN global Treaty in the area of social-labor relations in the country.

“State power and business must be equal partners in Kazakhstan in solving not only economic, but also social problems,” Nursultan Nazarbayev emphasized.

The main reason of entrepreneurs’ participation in this important work is the formation of a favorable socially non-contentious environment for their activities. The state expects the policy of social responsibility will create new jobs, competitive social packets for employers, observation of ecological standards.

The President noted that the Kazakhstani business begins to realize its social responsibility. National companies and large investors serve as an example of that when they allocate funds on projects in education, public health care, sport and culture, offer real support to socially unprotected population strata.

“It is necessary to raise the image of the companies that realize their responsibility in the face of the society and to conduct active informational explanatory work,” Nursultan Nazarbayev said.

The President said he had inked a decree on holding annual competition on social responsibility of business and establishing a special title, Paryz laureate. The brand of this competition’s winner must be recognizable not only in business circles, but in the entire Kazakhstani society. Our people must trust entrepreneurs who produce national wealth.

“Success comes together with responsibility; this is the formulae that I suggest to take as a guideline to all leaders of Kazakhstani business who begin to realize the direct dependence of their own well-being on the prosperity of all compatriots,” Nursultan Nazarbayev said.