WB exec chides bias in assessments on Azerbaijan
The head of the World Bank office in Baku has
rejected claims that there is a special attitude by his institution
toward the Azerbaijani government and dismissed allegations that
they were triggered by the bank`s praising the country.
Gregori Yedzherchak`s statement comes due to the mostly positive assessment of Azerbaijan in the WB`s recent reports. The bank has recently announced that the fast-growing South Caucasus republic is the world`s top reformer in 2008. Moreover, a report released by the bank late last year indicated that Azerbaijan has advanced by 66 steps in improving the business climate and was now ranked 33rd. Afterwards, some local experts asserted that this feedback was biased and that the only achievement made by the government was introducing the "one-stop shop" for starting business, which made things easier for entrepreneurs by reducing the time, cost and the number of steps required to open a business. This measure is not enough to cite an improvement by 66 steps, they alleged.
Yedzherchak told Radio Liberty that the WB`s reports were fully objective and the bank was not defending any interests of its own.
He emphasized that the business climate in Azerbaijan could not be compared to that in Singapore, Hong Kong and Denmark - which are among countries regularly cited as the best for doing business by international groups - but the country`s government has indeed taken steps to improve it.
"Azerbaijan is cited in the place it deserves in our reports," Yedzherchak said.
Some pundits, adhering to a biased stance, charge that the WB is lauding the authorities due to its signing successful trade agreements with the Azerbaijani government. They link this with the WB`s being one of the country`s commercial partners and the bank`s involvement in managing Azerbaijan`s petrodollars.
Yedzherchak expressed disappointment with the reports, claiming that the WB is making concessions to Azerbaijan due to financial interests.
"If those expressing these views asked how much money from the Azerbaijani government the WB holds, I would say $100 million. This sounds like a lot of money to me and you, but for the WB it certainly isn`t much."
Yedzherchak added that the WB is not seeing unduly high profits from the management of Azerbaijan`s oil revenues and is merely working to improve the skills of the central bank and the State Oil Fund in managing these funds, including by conducting training sessions.
Economics expert Gubad Ibadoglu maintained that if the business climate had improved in the country, economic freedoms and corruption indices would have improved as well. However, Azerbaijan`s corruption ratings are on a downward trend, he added.
Gregori Yedzherchak`s statement comes due to the mostly positive assessment of Azerbaijan in the WB`s recent reports. The bank has recently announced that the fast-growing South Caucasus republic is the world`s top reformer in 2008. Moreover, a report released by the bank late last year indicated that Azerbaijan has advanced by 66 steps in improving the business climate and was now ranked 33rd. Afterwards, some local experts asserted that this feedback was biased and that the only achievement made by the government was introducing the "one-stop shop" for starting business, which made things easier for entrepreneurs by reducing the time, cost and the number of steps required to open a business. This measure is not enough to cite an improvement by 66 steps, they alleged.
Yedzherchak told Radio Liberty that the WB`s reports were fully objective and the bank was not defending any interests of its own.
He emphasized that the business climate in Azerbaijan could not be compared to that in Singapore, Hong Kong and Denmark - which are among countries regularly cited as the best for doing business by international groups - but the country`s government has indeed taken steps to improve it.
"Azerbaijan is cited in the place it deserves in our reports," Yedzherchak said.
Some pundits, adhering to a biased stance, charge that the WB is lauding the authorities due to its signing successful trade agreements with the Azerbaijani government. They link this with the WB`s being one of the country`s commercial partners and the bank`s involvement in managing Azerbaijan`s petrodollars.
Yedzherchak expressed disappointment with the reports, claiming that the WB is making concessions to Azerbaijan due to financial interests.
"If those expressing these views asked how much money from the Azerbaijani government the WB holds, I would say $100 million. This sounds like a lot of money to me and you, but for the WB it certainly isn`t much."
Yedzherchak added that the WB is not seeing unduly high profits from the management of Azerbaijan`s oil revenues and is merely working to improve the skills of the central bank and the State Oil Fund in managing these funds, including by conducting training sessions.
Economics expert Gubad Ibadoglu maintained that if the business climate had improved in the country, economic freedoms and corruption indices would have improved as well. However, Azerbaijan`s corruption ratings are on a downward trend, he added.
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