Parliament approves amendments to several laws
By Amina Nazarli
The Azerbaijani Parliament held a plenary session on February 12.
The agenda of the session covered several topics including activities of the municipalities, discussion of new bills and amendments to a number of laws.
Particularly, the Parliament adopted a bill on ‘On anti-dumping, countervailing and safeguard measures’, stipulating measures aiming at revealing the facts of dumping, including an increase of customs duty for the import of products in the amount of the dumping margin (in case of revealing the facts of dumping).
Ziyad Samadzade, the chairman of the parliamentary committee on economic policy, industry and entrepreneurship said the bill will help to protect domestic producers from unfair competition, dumping [import of goods into the country at a price below its value], and of subsidized imports to Azerbaijan.
The MPs also approved a bill on ‘Licenses and Permits', providing for simplification of procedures and t improvement of the rules for obtaining licenses, including the introduction of the "single window" principle for issuing licenses, as well as the issuance of "electronic license", and reduction of the term of the license issuance from 15 to 10 days, while permits to 7 days.
The law also obliges public authorities to provide methodological assistance to entrepreneurs in obtaining licenses within five days, which will allow businessmen to save money and be sure in advance that will get a license.
The Parliament further approved an amendment to the law on “Transport”, providing an age limit for bus drivers.
Under the amendments, the age for the use of “D” passenger transportation category will be from 22 to 65 with the driving experience of at least five years, while age for "DE" category is approved for not less than 25 and not older than 65 years with the experience of at least three years.
The MPS also discussed the activities of municipalities.
Addressing the session, Deputy Minister of Justice Vilayat Zahir said Azerbaijan should adopt a law on municipal procurement, which will increase transparency in the work of municipalities and eliminate corruption.
He said there were annulled illegal sale and lease of 1,406 acres plots of land, 1,370 hectares of which are agricultural land.
The Parliament also abolished municipality of the Babek district of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic.
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Amina Nazarli is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on
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