BAKU, Azerbaijan, Feb.9
By Fidan Babayeva – Trend:
The Azerbaijan public association ‘Trade Networks’ has strengthened the solution of issues of delivery of food from Europe and neighboring countries during the COVID-19 pandemic and the strengthening of quarantine measures, in particular Russia, Ukraine, and Belarus, Chairman of the association Samir Abdullayev told Trend on Feb.9.
"In the pre-pandemic period when the borders were open, we hadn’t faced any difficulties in delivering and providing food from the above countries," Abdullayev said.
According to him, during the quarantine regime imposed due to the pandemic, trade with those countries in the food sector has grown. Besides, the quarantine regime has activated some local manufacturing enterprises.
During the pandemic, along with growth in the revenues of retail chains, expenses related to transport and organization of sanitary-disinfection works also increased, the chairman added.
"The quarantine regime made all participants of the trade market, including grocery retail chains, more carefully treat the issues of hygiene and sanitary safety, as well as change some business processes related to the organization of sales of food products," summed up Abdullayev.
The ‘Trade Networks’ Association was created on the initiative and support of Azerbaijan’s Agency for the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs) on July 25, 2020.
The organization’s aim is to support the development of a market economy, as well as the promotion and execution of initiatives, coordination, and expansion of cooperation between entrepreneurs, especially SMEs involved in production and trade.
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