BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 19
By Eldar Janashvili – Trend:
Social spending in Azerbaijan amounted to 7.7 billion manat ($4.5 billion) in 2019, which is about 32 percent of the state budget spending for the same year, Trend reports on May 19 referring to the report of the country’s Ministry of Finance on budget execution in 2019.
The volume of social spending increased by 564.8 million manat or $332.2 million (7.8 percent) compared to the same indicator in 2018.
In the structure of social spending, the socially important spending on wages amounted to 5 million manat or $2.9 million, which is 584.7 million manat ($343.9 million), or 13.3 percent more than in 2018, and their share made up 64.4 percent.
The spending on scholarships and social benefits amounted to over 2.1 billion manat ($1.2 billion) with a share of 27.7 percent, on the purchase of medicines, clothes and materials - 226.1 million manat ($133 million) each, a growth by 11 million manat ($6.4 million), or 5.1 percent compared to 2018.
The spending on the acquisition of food products made up 384.5 million manat or $226.1 million, which is a rise by 40.9 million manat ($24 million), or 11.9 percent compared to 2018.
With the adoption of a number of important decisions in the direction of further strengthening the social protection of the country's population in 2019, social benefits, scholarships and the minimum wage were increased on average by 92 percent, and the minimum pension - by 72 percent.
Besides, in organizations funded from the state budget and receiving financial assistance, an increase in wages of employees by nearly 50 percent was ensured.
At the same time, from April 1, 2019, the amount of the monthly allowance for internally displaced persons and persons equated to them, which was established instead of paying food allowances, as well as payments to the state budget for utility and other services, was also increased by 50 percent.