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Trend:

The structure of the Friends of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) launched in Azerbaijan will be consistently expanded this year, Chairman of the Board of the Agency for the Development of SMEs Orkhan Mammadov said at a joint business forum with Caspian European Club in Baku, Trend reports.

According to the chairman, there are at present 12 "Friends of SMEs" operating in the country, and the opening of the first House of SMEs, which will operate in Baku, is expected this year.

"This year, the Agency for the Development of SMEs plans to significantly expand this area in order to provide substantial support for the development of small and medium-sized enterprises in Azerbaijan. The "Friends of SMEs" network is an essential tool aimed at supporting micro, small and medium-sized enterprises, and one of its tasks is the expansion of the network and its coverage of the country’s districts and cities. This is also very important because the mechanism is aimed at protecting the rights of entrepreneurs," Mammadov said.

Mammadov noted that one of the key areas of the agency’s activities is the improvement of the legislative framework, as well as the development of mechanisms aimed at stimulating small and medium-sized enterprises in Azerbaijan.

"At present, on the basis of the proposals put forward by the agency, a draft law On the Development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises has been prepared, and a number of changes aimed at providing benefits have been made to the Tax Code. Moreover, procedures in the area of public services have been simplified, and major changes have been made to public procurement legislation," Mammadov said.

He noted that the agency organizes its activities within the framework of the "Strategic roadmap for the production of consumer goods in Azerbaijan at the level of small and medium enterprises" until 2020, in order to significantly improve the business environment by this deadline and ensure that local products enter foreign markets.

During the event, Orkhan Mammadov was awarded a diploma of the Caspian-European Club.

As part of the event, the "SME Friendly" service was created and applications, proposals of entrepreneurs participating in the business forum were heard through the Friends of SMEs.

The business forum was attended by heads of state and private companies, diplomatic corps and representatives of international organizations.