Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 9 / Trend H.Valiyev /
Azerbaijan intends to adopt Belarus's experience in the creation of regional innovation zones (RIZ), Azerbaijani Communications and IT Minister Ali Abbasov said at the first Belarusian-Azerbaijani Forum on IT today.
Over the past five years, Azerbaijan's IT sector showed the highest growth rates - 32-35 percent, the minister said. Despite the global financial and economic crisis, in 2009, Azerbaijan's revenue in the ICT sector increased by 9.3 percent and amounted to $1.34 billion.
According to Abbasov, today the question of building parks (RIZ) is one of the priority plans of innovative development of Azerbaijan. Currently, the country is considering the best way and the possibility of establishing a high technologies park. Belarus, which has expressed willingness to participate in the project to build industrial park, will contribute to this process, the minister said.
Regional innovation zone project in Azerbaijan envisages establishing technology parks for small and medium innovative businesses, creating a regional base for the production and export of electronic hardware and software, effectively turning the country into a transit information center, training and human resource development for the information society, introducing information technologies in different industries.
Establishment of regional innovation zone (RIZ) in the Republic was defined as a priority in the development of IT industry. At present, the ministry's proposals for the creation of RIZ in Azerbaijan are considered by the government. One of the most important issues is to reduce, and in some cases, liquidate the tax, social and customs duties. A positive solution to these issues will create suitable conditions for the import of goods to Azerbaijan, as well as conditions for the organization of production line of foreign investors in the country with their further exports to regional markets.
According to the forecasts of the ministry, with the success implementation of the project, the growth in revenues from projects on the RIZ in 2020 will reach $12 billion.
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