$1.7bn allocated for social payments

By Ayya Lmahamad

The volume of social payments paid in Azerbaijan, including pensions and allowances, amounted to about AZN 3 billion ($1,7bn), in the first six months of 2020, local media reported with the reference to Labor and Social Protection Minister Sahil Babayev.

"This covers 48 percent of the population, who additionally received AZN 600 million ($352.9M) due to the coronavirus pandemic," the minister said in an interview to the local TV channel.

Moreover, the volume of pension financing in Azerbaijan in the first half of 2020 increased by 24 percent compared to the same period last year.

Babayev stated that AZN 436 million ($256.5M) were spent on the payment of pensions in the first quarter of 2020, which is 24 percent more compared to same period last year.

Furthermore, he noted that the targeted social assistance program has also expanded during the reporting period.

"If at the beginning of this year the number of families receiving targeted social assistance was 70,000, after the president's order during the pandemic procedures have been simplified, resulting in an increase in the number of families to 84,000, which is about 350,000 people," he said.

Likewise, he added that in period of May-June 2020, the Azerbaijani government provided 300 families of martyrs and participants of the Karabakh war with apartments, as well as with 100 cars.

Babayev emphasized that after the pandemic is over, it is planned to provide apartments to 200 more families, which in total results to providing 1,500 apartments and 400 cars in 2020.

Additionally, as part of the expansion of social infrastructure, eight rehabilitation centers for people with disabilities are planned to be commissioned by the end of the year.

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