Azerbaijan, Baku, Dec.30 / Trend Capital, U.Ismayilova /

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev's decree to annul the population's gas debts signed Dec. 29 is state aid, Permanent Economic Policy Parliamentary Commission member Vahid Ahmedov said today.

"The decree will bring benefits to the population, as a portion of the public could not pay off their debts," he added.

Aliyev decided to annul the population's gas debts worth 327 million manat to Azerigas as of Oct. 1, 2009 to strengthen social protection and regulate natural gas consumption costs.

The State Oil Company of the Azerbaijan Republic will receive compensation equal to the debts written off from the 2009 state budget.