Baku, Azerbaijan, Oct.9
By Azad Hasanli - Trend:
The state budget revenues of Azerbaijan were fulfilled by 101.2 percent and amounted to 14.71 billion AZN in January-September 2014, according to live data, the Minister of Finance Samir Sharifov said during the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers.
The meeting was dedicated to the socio-economic development for the first 9 months of 2014 and the challenges ahead.
The Ministry of Taxes provided tax revenues forecast implementation by 101.8 percent, and the state budget received 5.3 billion AZN, which is 394 million AZN (or 8 percent) more, compared to the same period of 2013.
The official exchange rate on Oct.9 is 0.7843 AZN/USD.
The State Customs Committee fulfilled the deduction forecast by 100.2 percent, which is 123 million AZN or 12.2 percent more than the same period in 2013.
The receipts from the non-oil sector increased up to 662 million AZN or 17.5 percent during the year, and amounted to 4.454 billion AZN, according to the minister.
"Applications for budget organizations expenditure have been financed fully and timely during the 9 months," he said. "Budget expenditures totaled 12.6 billion AZN, with the fulfillment by 86 percent."
During the last period, some 24.3 percent of 3.82 billion AZN fell on social expenses, which is more than 252 million AZN or 8.9 percent compared with the same period in 2013, the minister said.
Investments at the expense of the state budget amounted to 4.172 billion AZN for the first 9 months.
Of these funds, some 1.401 billion AZN were spent on construction and reconstruction of social and cultural facilities and domestic facilities, 2.184 billion AZN on construction and reconstruction of energy, water, gas, transportation, utilities, drainage and other infrastructure, 44 million AZN on financing the investment projects in the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic, 545 million AZN on projects of defense and others.
Some 1.292 billion AZN have been allocated for the implementation of events in the framework of the state program on socio-economic development of the districts of Azerbaijan for 2014-2018 years, Sharifov said.
"The following projects were completed by spending the funds allocated from the budget during the reporting period: projects for improving the quality of services rendered to the population, improving the living conditions of the IDPs, increasing the country's tourism and sports potential, promotion of carpet weaving, as well as studying the national culture," the minister said.
Sharifov also named the following facilities commissioned by spending the funds allocated from the budget during the reporting period: Baku Recreation Center, Republican Center of Sports Medicine, Diagnostic and Rehabilitation, new administrative and educational complex of the National Conservatory, new carpet museum, Central Library and Research Center of 'National Library of Azerbaijan' of the National Academy of Sciences, new settlement for 632 families of IDPs in the Aghdam district, National Gymnastics Arena, Goygol Olympic Sports Center.
The minister added that the new terminal of the Heydar Aliyev International Airport and Baku International Sea Trade Port Complex were commissioned, adding that these facilities are the largest ones in Caucasus and Central Asia and are of great importance in terms of increasing the country's transit potential.
He also touched upon the completion of the construction of Arpachay-1 and Arpachay-2 hydro power plants, as well as the new administrative building of the international airport in Nakhchivan.
Around 257 million AZN was allocated from the state budget in nine months of 2014 to continue the work on beautification of cities, districts and settlements, to implement the state program for socio-economic development of Baku and surrounding settlements for 2014-2016. Some 29 million AZN was allocated from the Reserve Fund of Azerbaijani president to start the construction of intervillage roads.
Around 60 million AZN was allocated from the state budget under the program for the supply of gas to the country's regions in 2014, while the total volume of funds allocated for the implementation of this program reached 620 million AZN.
Some 256 million AZN has been spent since early 2014 on providing the population of regions and cities of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic with drinking water.
The funds allocated from the state budget allowed to continue the work on branching the country's economy, developing the non-oil sector, financing of the preferential sale of agricultural fertilizers used for lands under cultivation. The discount for these products has increased from 50 percent to 70 percent.
The revenues of the state budget for 2014 are expected to reach 18.384 billion AZN, while the expenditures are forecast to hit around 20 billion AZN.