STATE MINIMUM SOCIAL STANDARDS OF QUALITY OF LIFE IN THE REPUBLIC OF KAZAKHSTAN (SECTORS OF LABOUR, SOCIAL PROTECTION AND SECURITY)

Abstract

State social standardization is defined as the legal regulation of priority social norms and standards, presented as state minimum social standards. The use of state minimum social standards contributes to the enhancement of the significance of norms and standards regulating priority areas of social policy and allows for the continuous maintenance of the real content of the main state social guarantees. The study examines approaches to defining social standards and quality of life standards proposed by domestic, foreign authors, and international organizations. It describes the features of the formation of the social standards system at the state level and reflects the areas for which systems of minimum social standards have been established. Additionally, the article contains an analysis of the current state of minimum social standards (in the fields of employment, social protection, and security), and the existing trends in their socio-economic development. As a result, the main shortcomings of regulatory legal acts influencing the quality of life of the population in our country were identified: the relatively low level of minimum wages and the formal income level determined by the subsistence minimum, which cause the sizes of certain social benefits and payments in Kazakhstan to fall short of the best international standards. Therefore, it is proposed to adjust the regulatory framework embedded in social standards to guarantee citizens a decent quality of life regardless of their place of residence.