Azerbaijan's state budget revenues increase
By Aynur Jafarova
Azerbaijan's state budget revenues were fulfilled by 101.2 percent and amounted to 14.71 billion manats in January-September 2014, Azerbaijan's Finance Minister Samir Sharifov said at a meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers on the results of socio-economic development in nine months of 2014 and future tasks held on October 8.
Azerbaijan's Taxes Ministry provided tax revenues forecast implementation by 101.8 percent, supplying 5.3 billion manats to the state budget which is 394 million manats or 8 percent more compared to the same period of 2013.
The State Customs Committee fulfilled the deduction forecast by 100.2 percent, which is 123 million manats or 12.2 percent more than the same period of 2013.
The revenues from the non-oil sector increased up to 662 million manats or 17.5 percent during the year, and amounted to 4.454 billion manats.
"Applications for budget organizations expenditure have been financed fully and timely during the 9 months of 2014. Budget expenditures totaled 12.6 billion manats, with the fulfillment by 86 percent," the minister said.
In the reported period, some 24.3 percent of 3.82 billion manats fell on social expenses, which is 252 million manats or 8.9 percent more compared to the same period of 2013,
Investments made by the state budget amounted to 4.172 billion manats in the reported period.
Of these funds, some 1.401 billion manats was spent on construction and reconstruction of social and cultural facilities and domestic facilities, 2.184 billion manats on construction and reconstruction of energy, water, gas, transportation, utilities, drainage and other infrastructure, 44 million manats on financing the investment projects in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, 545 million manats on projects of defense and others.
Sharifov also said 1.292 billion manats have been allocated for the implementation of projects within the framework of the state program on socio-economic development of the regions of Azerbaijan for 2014-2018 years.
"The following projects were completed by spending the funds allocated from the budget during the reporting period: projects for improving the quality of services rendered to the population, improving the living conditions of the IDPs, increasing the country's tourism and sports potential, promotion of carpet weaving, as well as studying the national culture," the minister noted.
Sharifov also named the following facilities commissioned by spending the funds allocated from the budget during the reporting period: Baku Recreation Center, Republican Center of Sports Medicine, Diagnostic and Rehabilitation, new administrative and educational complex of the National Conservatory, new carpet museum, Central Library and Research Center of 'National Library of Azerbaijan' of the National Academy of Sciences, new settlement for 632 families of IDPs in the Aghdam region, National Gymnastics Arena, and Goygol Olympic Sports Center.
The minister also said the new terminal of the Heydar Aliyev International Airport and Baku International Sea Trade Port Complex were commissioned, and these facilities are the largest ones in Caucasus and Central Asia and are of great importance in terms of increasing the country's transit potential.
He also touched upon the completion of the construction of Arpachay-1 and Arpachay-2 hydro power plants, as well as the new administrative building of the international airport in Nakhchivan.
Around 257 million manats was allocated from the state budget in nine months of 2014 to continue the work on beautification of cities, regions and settlements, to implement the state program for socio-economic development of Baku and surrounding settlements for 2014-2016. Some 29 million manats was allocated from the Reserve Fund of Azerbaijani president to start the construction of intervillage roads.
Around 60 million manats was allocated from the state budget under the program for the supply of gas to the country's regions in 2014, while the total volume of funds allocated for the implementation of this program reached 620 million manats.
Some 256 million manats has been spent since early 2014 on providing the population of regions and cities of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic with drinking water.
The funds allocated from the state budget allowed continuing the work on branching the country's economy, developing the non-oil sector, financing of the preferential sale of agricultural fertilizers used for lands under cultivation. The discount for these products has increased from 50 percent to 70 percent.
The official exchange rate on October 10 was 0.7843 AZN/USD.