Azerbaijan to export furniture to Europe under Made in Azerbaijan brand in 2020
By Mirsaid Ibrahimzade
Furniture and generally other household items are among the most demanded products in Azerbaijan. Today, there is very wide range of furniture choices, and one can found stores for every taste at every corner of the capital and in the regions.
Tables, chairs, wardrobes, beds – once a bulky share of all this items was brought to Azerbaijan from abroad, including from Turkey, Malaysia, Italy, Spain and Russia. However, the field began to steadily develop in Azerbaijan about ten years ago and now the country has more than 20 companies operating under the national brand.
Azerbaijan will begin to export its furniture under the Made in Azerbaijan brand to various European countries in 2020, director of the furniture factory Saloglu in Agstafa region Tajaddin Mustafayev said, Trend reports on January 30.
He made the remarks in Baku at the conference dedicated to the results of the implementation of the "State Program on Socio-Economic Development of the Regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2014-2018" held with the participation of Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.
He stressed that 2,500 jobs are planned to be created after expanding the production capacity of the factory, in which 400 people work.
"The construction of a new furniture factory with a total area of 17.5 square meters has been already launched,” he said. “The total cost of the project is 25 million manats."
He noted that a preferential loan worth 10 million manats was allocated through the state support for the implementation of the project.
A contract was signed with the German company HOMAG Group for the purchase of the most advanced technological equipment and it will be delivered to Azerbaijan soon.
The director of the company went on to say that the construction of a new furniture factory will be completed before the end of this year, and in the first quarter of 2020 it will begin exports.
"This will create conditions for providing people living in the region with jobs to increase the export potential of our region," he added.
Azerbaijan has been long regarded as a country which was largely dependent of the oil and gas industries,
An abundance of natural resources of hydrocarbons became a so-called obstacle on the way to diversification of the economy.
To resolve counted problems, diversify economy and make development embrace a country as a whole, the government proposed a state program of “Socio-economic development of regions of the Republic of Azerbaijan in 2014-2018”.
The state program played irreplaceable role in realization of projects which involve enhancement of many economic indicators like development of this region as a whole, increase of employment, raise of non-oil sector and growth of export, especially in wood industry.
Furniture factory in Agstafa is just one example. Development of wood processing and furniture production in Agstafa is a result of accurate and proper analytical analysis of economic strength, weaknesses and opportunities of the region.
Today, the country eyes to diversify its economy, focuses widely on an export-led growth strategy and aims to expand the list of its foreign trade partners. “Made in Azerbaijan” is an initiative aimed at entering new markets.
President Ilham Aliyev signed the Decree on large-scale promotion of local non-oil products in foreign markets as “Made in Azerbaijan” on 5 October 2016.
This Decree includes nine different support mechanisms to stimulate exports and promote “Made in Azerbaijan” abroad.
Depending on the support mechanisms, the costs relating to their realization are fully or partially covered by the state budget. The strategic markets for Azerbaijan are also considered to be EU, the countries of the Persian Gulf, China, the CIS countries, Turkey and Russia.
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