WB supports project on expanding self-employment program
By Mirsaid Ibrahimzade
Azerbaijan implements active work in the social sphere, including the self-employment program, which aroused great interest of population – this is evidenced by the number of growing applications.
Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of Azerbaijan, Sahil Babayev, told reporters that World Bank (WB) supports a new project prepared in Azerbaijan, which is aimed at expanding the self-employment program, Trend reported on May 14.
Babayev said that currently, the project is in the process of discussion and is negotiated with the WB.
He added that preparations for the development of this document have started, which envisages the improvement of the social program of self-employment and bringing it up to par with global standards.
The minister stated that 8,000 people will be embraced by the self-employment program in Azerbaijan.
"The scope of self-employment over the past year has increased by 6 times; 7,800 requests were received in total, 7,267 people underwent training and substantiated their business plans, while 5,500 were provided with assets," the minister said.
The self-employment program has been implemented in Azerbaijan since 2016. As part of these measures, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of Azerbaijan provides low-income families with various assets (goods, materials, livestock) so that they can start their small business.
Last year, 7,000 citizens were attracted to participate in the program. Some 42 million manats ($25 million) were provided for financing the self-employment program this year (35 million manats ($21 million) last year).
Self-employment allows unemployed citizens to exercise their right to socially useful activity. At the same time, the society receives initiative workers, who abandoned the passive-dependent expectation and began active creative work, realized themselves as individuals.
For an unemployed person, the self-employment program is an opportunity to become an entrepreneur, a master of their own business, and for society - to involve large masses of unemployed citizens in a socially useful business.
--
Mirsaid Ibrahimzade is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow him on Twitter: @MirsaidIbrahim1
Follow us on Twitter @AzerNewsAz