Azerbaijan expects ICT export growth
By Nigar Orujova
Revenues generated by the information and communication technologies sector in Azerbaijan will reach $8-8.5 billion by 2020, Communications and Information Technologies Minister Ali Abbasov said on Thursday.
The ICT sector's revenues currently stand at nearly $2 billion, Abbasov said at the presentation of the British Business Year magazine's special edition on Azerbaijan.
A four-fold increase in revenues will become possible by increasing the role of the ICT sector in exports and growth of the domestic market, according to Abbasov.
"Since the demand on the domestic market is limited, long-term plans for the development of the sector are associated with the development of exports. Azerbaijan is exporting a range of services in this field to Iran and Georgia, and the geography of exports will continue to grow," the minister noted.
According to him, currently Azerbaijani companies need diplomatic support for their participation in large-scale international ICT projects.
The impetus to the development of the ICT sector in Azerbaijan will be given by the project on broadband Internet, implemented with the support of the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan. The cost of the project will amount to 430-440 million manats (up to $560 million). Implementation of the project will increase the level of Internet penetration in the country to 85 percent, Abbasov said.
2013 was declared the year of information and communication technologies in Azerbaijan in accordance with a presidential decree on January 16.
The Azerbaijani president also approved the regulations on the State Fund for IT Development and the Action Plan on the Year of ICT in Azerbaijan. According to the action plan, it is planned to develop an ICT strategy, improve the registration procedure of the national domain .az, and significantly reduce fees for telecommunication services and internet access.
According to the ICT Ministry, in 2012, ICT revenues exceeded $1.7 billion, which is 18 percent more than in 2011.