Over $2 billion directed to regional development
By Nigar Orujova
Development of the regions in focus of the government of Azerbaijan, as the state is promoting non-oil sector now. About 4 billion manats were allocated for the development of Azerbaijan’s regions in 2015.
Roughly 3.6 billion manats were directed to the development of regions, Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev said at the conference on the results of the second year of the state program of socio-economic development of regions in 2014-2018 on January 26.
“In 2015, more than 400 kilometers of roads of national and local importance were built and repaired as well as 12 new bridges and crossings, and more than 590 kilometers of roads in rural areas were laid, connecting 245 settlements,” the minister said.
Two power plants were put into operation in 2015, 1,289 transformers and 20 substations were installed and repaired, more than 8,200 km of power lines and almost 12,500 km of gas pipelines were built, he said. Moreover, 430 settlements in 43 regions were provided with gas, and the level of gasification in the country has reached 90 percent and 80 percent in the regions.
Mustafayev went on to add that water projects were completed in four cities with a population of 175,000 people and more than 750 kilometers of water pipelines as well as 391 km of sewer lines were laid.
Speaking about the development of industry, Mustafayev said that up to 270 industrial enterprises, including plants for the production of technical equipment, large-sized transformers and metal structures, were opened in 2015.
The minister reminded that construction of the industrial park has started in Mingachevir in 2015.
“Entrepreneurs of the Neftchala industrial park have invested more than 20 million manats in three months to create enterprises in seven projects that will open up 380 new jobs,” he stressed.
The efforts made to develop the non-oil industry in the regions opened new opportunities for the population both living in regions and those who came to work in Baku. Earlier, most of the enterprises were located in capital Baku and two largest cities of the country – Ganja and Sumgayit.
The government is planning to create up to 300 jobs in each region of the country, Salim Muslimov, Labor and Social Protection Minister told journalists on January 26.
“This can be achieved by attracting people to labor work based on six-month contracts,” he said.
The government is able to deal with creating new jobs. “Initially, this can be done by involving the unemployed in public work on the basis of six-month and one-year contracts and filling of vacancies in various public enterprises financed from the state budget, as well as state-owned large companies,” Muslimov noted.
The ministry also plans to hold broad meetings with representatives of Azerbaijan's state energy company SOCAR and Azerigaz Production Association, as well as with other state agencies to fill vacancies.
“We will be able to find out the number of additional jobs in different regions of the country and announce their openings,” the minister stated.
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Nigar Orujova is AzerNews’ staff journalist. Follow her on Twitter: @o_nigar
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