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Review of budget spending on education in Azerbaijan

Finance Materials 21 May 2020 11:48 (UTC +04:00)
Review of budget spending on education in Azerbaijan

BAKU, Azerbaijan, May 21

By Eldar Janashvili – Trend:

Nearly 2.5 billion manat ($1.4 billion) from the state budget of Azerbaijan was directed on education expenses in 2019, which is 272.9 million manat or $160.5 million (12.3 percent) more than in 2018, Trend reports referring to the report of the country’s Ministry of Finance on budget execution in 2019.

The state capital investments amounted to 294.1 million manat ($173 million).

In terms of shares, the education expenses made up 10.2 percent of the state budget expenditures, with growth by 0.4 percent over the year.

In the reporting year, the dynamic execution of expenses in the educational sector was also ensured, including the implementation of state education programs, financial provision of labor costs and other measures.

According to the report, it was also envisaged to restore and reconstruct a number of educational infrastructures, provide students of secondary schools with textbooks at the expense of the state, сomputerize the education system, as well as develop inclusive education, first provided for persons with disabilities, and finance other educational activities.

In the structure of expenses (without capital investments) in accordance with the functional classification, the majority (57.6 percent of the total educational expenses) accounted for total expenses worth 1.26 billion manat ($740 million), an increase of 187.5 million manat or $110.2 million (17.4 percent).

About 18.6 percent of the expenses (408.7 million manat or $240.4 million) accounted for other educational institutions and events.

Some 10.5 percent of the expenses (231.6 million manat or $136.24 million) accounted for financial provision of the activities of the Academy of Public Administration under the President of Azerbaijan, ADA University, Baku branches of Lomonosov Moscow State University and Sechenov Moscow State Medical University, Baku Academy of Choreography, Academy of Justice and other educational institutions, which is 31 million manat or $18.2 million (15.4 percent) more than in 2018.

As reported, 9.8 percent of the expenses in the amount of 214.9 million manat ($126.4 million) accounted for preschool education, which is 45.4 million manat or $26.7 million (26.8 percent) more than in 2018.

Some 1.9 percent (42.3 million manat or $24.8 million) was allocated to finance secondary education, which is 6.5 million manat or $3.8 million (18.1 percent) more than in 2018.

One and a half percent of the costs worth 32.3 million manat ($19 million) was directed to financing vocational education, which is 7.7 million manat or $4.5 million (31.5 percent) more than in 2018.

The remaining 0.1 percent of the costs worth 1.7 million manat ($1 million) was used to finance additional education.

Eight million manat ($4.7 million) was allocated to Azerbaijan’s State Examination Center for the organization and conducting of entrance examinations to higher and secondary specialized educational institutions, as well as final and monitoring exams at state educational institutions in 2019, which is 3 million manat ($1.76 million) more than in 2018.

In accordance with the economic classification, 1.53 million manat ($900,000) was allocated for current expenses, which is 163.4 million manat or $96.1 million or $56.5 million (12 percent) more than in 2018.

Some 285.3 million manat ($167.8 million) was allocated for buying goods and engaging work and services, which is 46 million manat or $27.06 million (19.2 percent) more than in 2018, 34.7 million manat ($20.4 million) – on subsidies and current transfers, which is 4.2 million manat or $2.4 million (13.8 percent) more compared to 2018.

As many as 83.2 million manat ($48.9 million) was allocated for pensions and social benefits, which is 6.2 million manat or $3.65 million (8.1 percent) more than in 2018, 234.9 million manat ($138.18 million) – for social and cultural, household, banking and other costs, including overhaul and reconstruction of administrative and managerial facilities, as well as rental costs, which is 1.4 million manat or $820,000 (0.6 percent) more than a year earlier.

The funds worth 28.4 million manat ($16.71 million) were allocated for non-financial assets, which is 7.9 million manat or $4.65 million (38.9 percent) more than in 2018.

In general, in 2019, 6.5 million manat ($3.8 million) was allocated for expenses in the field of science, education, healthcare, social protection and social security, culture, art, information, physical education and other categories (given funds allocated for state capital investments), which is 394.4 million manat ($232 million), or 6.4 percent more than in 2018. These expenses accounted for 26.9 percent of state budget expenditures.

(1 USD = 1.7 AZN on May 21)

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