PROJECT PROPOSAL.
Impact of Land Reform for Economic Development in
Rural Kazakhstan.
The project proposal is sought in area of agricultural
development with particular emphasis on land reform. Economic
transformation in Kazakhstan has brought changes in the agricultural
production and economic of a rural area. The employment opportunities
in rural area has been severely affected by continuing disintegration
of economic relations between former republics of the Soviet Union and
concomitant fall in production, as well as constraints on the ability
to sell agricultural commodities on internal and external market. After
restructuring and conducting privatization in agriculture the numbers
of unemployed people have increased significantly and ability of state
to help those people through public expenditure is very limited.
In 2003, Kazakhstan has introduced new Law on Land,
which transformed land ownership, previously based on permanent and
temporary land use right into private land ownership. The objectives of
the reform is to establish efficient system in agricultural sectors,
which will contribute to growth of agricultural production, people
welfare in rural area and development of the land market. This Law on
Land has revoked huge legal disputes and debates on the official
levels, when this Law has been considered by Parliament of Republic of
Kazakhstan and has passed public discussion. Also, the Law on Land has
been discussed by public organization through media-mass. Now, when
this Law on Land has been adopted by officials bodies of Kazakhstan
some NGO have organized the movement for reconsidering this Law on Land
and began to collection of necessary numbers of signature among people
for abolition of this Law on Land through national voting.
Objectives
The objectives of the project are to review reforming
land ownership, performed by adopted Law on Land; determine how
introducing private land ownership will contribute to economic growth
of the rural area and increase of agricultural production and people’s
welfare; identify the rural population acceptance of this land reform
and their desire, capacity and access to own with agricultural land;
prepare alternative policy scenarios for reforming land ownership and
explore these scenarios through depth economic and social analysis. The
proposed analysis on this project will help identify further steps
needed to ensure the sustainability and improve the performance of the
appropriate land ownership.
The project aims are to review the experiences
accumulated during the last six years of previously existed land use
right in Kazakhstan, identify the weaknesses and peculiarities of the
previous existed land ownership and provide improvement on the land
legislation performance and policy recommendations contributing to
economic development of rural area in Kazakhstan.
Procedure of the research fulfillment:
The research should be based on data provided by
interviews with government officials as well as farmer, household and
other surveys and independent research results. The evaluation of the
previously existed land ownership and reforms will be performed
primarily using certain methodology, which will be elaborated during
the conducting research.
The research design of this project consists of
qualitative and quantitative methodologies. The qualitative methodology
will be based on interviews and meeting with farmers, government
officials and representative of NGO, involved in social and
agricultural issues. Focused on semi - structured face- to- face
interviews will be used to assess impact of a land reform on economic
development of a rural are and welfare of rural population. The
quantitative techniques, such as survey questionnaires, would be used
to collect other primary date.
The Project research will comprise the collection of a
statistical data and other information, which will be available from
relevant state agencies and governmental organizations. Also, it is
supposed to conduct a field study for gathering more information for
conducting social-economic analysis. It is necessary to conduct the
field study in one or two rural areas, where small farms and farmers
prevail in the region.
In order to make economic analysis it is supposed to
make comparative analysis economic activity of farms and main economic
indicators in chosen focus group in project area before introducing and
after introducing private land ownership. As Law on Land has been
adopted in June the result of 2003 year will be used for assessment of
economic activity before introducing private land ownership and results
of 2004 year will match to after introducing land ownership. On the
basis of this interviews and analysis will be identified impact of the
land reform on economic development of rural area, some existing policy
gaps and some conclusion and relevant recommendation for future
improvements and supportive measure of increasing rural people welfare.
Practical application of this research:
This importance of this project is stipulated by
necessity to reform the agricultural sector in order to increase
welfare of rural population and agricultural production, which will
contribute to economic development of rural are. The research will be
based on actual data, mostly those data will emphasize economic
activities in rural area and matching land reform to needs of rural
population, which is more poorest group of people in Kazakhstan.
Project research also intends to identify barriers and obstacles, with
which farmers face in their economic activity and determine how
introducing private land ownership will help them.
The research component and policy recommendation for
supportive measures should be submitted to relevant non-governmental
organisations and governmental bodies (Minister of agriculture) and to
other non-governmental organisations. It is supposed to organise round
table with participation of representative of those above –mentioned
organisation on problem of land ownership. This meeting may attract
again the attention of the government and society to the problem of
farmers and rural area and maybe it will contribute to some positive
changes, which might be made by officials of Republic Kazakhstan.
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