Azernews.Az

By Sara Israfilbayova

Monitoring and evaluation of the Strategic Road Maps for key sectors of the national economy will be presented every six months.

Vusal Gasimli, Executive Director of the Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communications made the remarks during a press conference on evaluation of the results of implementing the Strategic Road Maps.

He said that 6 percent of the measures envisaged by the Strategic Road Map for the production of consumer goods at the level of small and medium enterprises have been implemented and 42 percent have already begun.

Further he stressed that non-oil exports in Azerbaijan amounted to $855 million in 7 months of this year, which is 20 per cent more than in 2016, adding that the country exported goods to 133 countries in 7 months.

The top five countries importing non-oil products of Azerbaijan are Russia, Turkey, Georgia, Switzerland and Turkmenistan.

The Executive Director also mentioned that there was developed a project to prolong the suspense of the inspection of entrepreneurs' activities.

The inspection of entrepreneurs' activities in Azerbaijan has been suspended for the period of two years from November 1, 2015. The exceptions from the law include check-ups which are held by State Commission to Combat Corruption under Prosecutor General’s Office, as well as cases which endanger health or life, pose hazards to the state security or economic interests.

Gasimli went on to say that 88 percent of the measures envisaged by the Strategic Road Map for housing construction at affordable prices have either been implemented or begun.

Saying that the Strategic Road Map for the development of the specialized tourism industry continues successfully, the Executive Director noted that the number of tourists visiting Azerbaijan in the first six months of this year increased by 24 percent.

Creation of the Azerbaijan Tourism Council, establishment of the National Bureau of Tourism Promotion, reduction in the duration of visa issuance from 3 days to 3 hours, as well as organization of the Baku Shopping Festival contributed to the development of tourism in the country as a whole in the framework of Strategic Road Maps.

The implementation of the Strategic Road Map for the development of vocational education and training equals to 59 percent. The average number of occupations in the field of vocational training has been increased from 123 to 154.

The Strategic Road Map for the development of telecommunications and information technologies has been implemented by 44 percent.

Gasimli emphasized that measures for the development of heavy industry and engineering has been implemented by 70 percent, further adding that some works in the Sumgait Chemical Industrial Park, Dashkasanfilizaflashma JSC and Azeraluminium JSC were conducted.

President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree in late 2016 endorsing “Strategic Road Maps for the National Economy and Main Economic Sectors”, which outlined the short-, medium- and long-term goals for the development of the economy and eleven key sectors.

The document comprises consolidated measures aimed at minimization of negative impacts of the global economic slowdown. It will allow to create a new development model basing on short-term (until 2020), medium-term (until 2025) and long-term measures (post 2025) to be implemented in different spheres of economy.

The strategic road maps up to 2025 and beyond cover almost all sectors of the economy, including, development of the oil and gas industry, the manufacture and processing of agricultural products, the manufacture of small and medium entrepreneurship-level consumer goods, development of heavy industry and machinery, tourism, logistics and trade, vocational education and training, financial services, communication and information technologies and utilities.

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