Azernews.Az

By Aynur Karimova

Azerbaijan, which has set the social welfare of population as a priority of its social policy, keeps the employment issue in focus.

Salim Muslimov, Minister for Labor and Social Protection of Population, said the government is planning to create up to 300 jobs in each region of the country.

“This can be achieved by attracting people to labor work based on six-month contracts,” he told journalists on January 26.

The ministry has been collecting information about the available number of employees, employment and number of the unemployed in different regions of the country.

"Currently, this process is nearing completion,” he said. “One of the main issues on the agenda is to attract employees to the economic life in the different regions of the country.”

The government is able to deal with creating new jobs, according to him.

"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 reveal the number of additional jobs in different regions and announce their openings,” the minister stated.

Muslimov went on to add that the number of families appealing for the targeted social assistance in various regions of Azerbaijan has reached 22,000 as of January 26.

The decree signed by President Ilham Aliyev on January 25 on allocation of 20 million manats ($12.5 million) for financing the targeted social assistance will allow strengthening the social protection of low-income families.

"Currently, the percentage of families receiving the targeted social assistance is 5.1 percent. After the allocation of additional 20 million manats ($12.5 million), this figure will be increased up to 6 percent," he stated.

The ministry has sent its specialists to the country's regions to study the appeals of the families.

"Some 1,183 families have appealed for the targeted social assistance only in the Yardimli region. This region stands at the first place for the number of families receiving the targeted social assistance. This is related to the lack of production facilities in the region, and there are several such regions. The most important issue in this regard is to increase transparency, which will be achieved through the introduction of an electronic system of appeals for the targeted social assistance," Muslimov added.

As of December 30, 2015, some 114,000 families or approximately 500,000 people were reported to receive the targeted social assistance. The government provides assistance to each family in the amount of 153 manats ($95.6).

Some 47.5 percent of citizens (231,179 people) receiving the targeted social assistance is under the age of 18. Some 5,561 of them are children under one year who monthly receive additional social assistance in the amount of 45 manats ($28.1). Also, some 28.2 percent, or 31,727 families receiving targeted social assistance, have three or more children.

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Aynur Karimova is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @Aynur_Karimova

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