Azerbaijan, Baku, Jan. 29 / Trend , I.Khalilova/
The State Oil Fund of the Azerbaijan Republic (SOFAZ) will not provide a mandate to new foreign managers to handle its funds. On the contrary, consultations are already underway with the current management who will be told to be more responsible about their obligations, said SOFAZ Executive Director Shahmar Movsumov.
"They will be offered to diversify their portfolio with more lucrative financial instruments," he said. Due to the global financial process, the yield from SOFAZ funds managed by foreigners aside from the WB Treasury was close to zero last year, Movsumov said. The foreign managers department runs about $20 million, excluding the WB Treasury's funds. SOFAZ managers include Clarident and Deutschebank Asset Management. Earlier, Movsumov had linked plans to expand the list of external managers to an increase in the fund's stock portfolio.
The SOFAZ head said the fund's investment policies will be reviewed, and SOFAZ funds will be diversified with more long-term instruments, including shares, before late 2009 and early 2010. SOFAZ assets will hit $11.219 billion on Jan. 1. Revenues from the management of its funds for the year amounted to 3.79 percent, compared to 4.24 percent in 2006 and 4.49 percent in 2007. The average yield on SOFAZ assets over the past three years was 4.17 percent.
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