Baku, Azerbaijan, May 20
By Matanat Nasibova - Trend:
Presently, 11 public councils are operating under state structures in Azerbaijan, Nadir Adilov, Deputy Chairman of Azerbaijan’s Agency for the Development of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs), told Trend.
He noted that the public councils operating under the government departments in Azerbaijan act as a coordinator between civil society and government agencies.
“In turn, the public council created under the Agency for the Development of SMEs aims to ensure transparency and anti-corruption steps in the business sphere,” said Adilov. “We plan to coordinate the process of business’ entering the labor market through the public council, and thereby increase the employment rate in the business sector. This is included in the list of tasks assigned to the agency, which aims to provide comprehensive support to entrepreneurs through effective business mechanisms.”
He noted that a Plan of Action was developed for the public councils of the agency, according to which monthly meetings will be held with entrepreneurs operating in different segments of the economy. “As part of these meetings, it is planned to develop effective mechanisms to ensure transparency in the field of SMEs,” Adilov added.
The Agency for the Development of SMEs was created on the basis of a decree by Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev in December last year.
The task of the agency is to ensure the succession of reforms, the improvement of the business regulation system and the application of effective coordination, while enhancing the role and competitiveness of SMEs in Azerbaijan’s economy and the compliance of the management system in this sphere with modern requirements.
As a single structure with special authorities, the agency organizes, coordinates, evaluates and regulates the services provided by government agencies and organizations in this area through the SME houses.