Azerbaijan, Baku, Feb. 19 / Trend H.Valiyev /
Azerbaijan's economy is less vulnerable to negative global economic disruptions, the Minister of Communications and Information Technologies Ali Abbasov said on Tuesday at a meeting with professors, magisterial staff and students of the Baku High Oil School.
"This is due to rational use of oil and gas revenues. The State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan was founded for this purpose," he said.
According to Abbasov, the main task is transferring revenues from the energy sector to the development of the non-oil sector, including ICT.
"The ICT sector in Azerbaijan is developing rapidly. Revenues received in Azerbaijan last year exceeded $ 1.7 billion, or by 18 per cent more than in 2011. This rate in previous years was at 25 -30 per cent," the minister said.
The main task in his view is to maintain this figure at 20 per cent. While maintaining such a pace, earnings for the sector will reach $8-9 billion by 2020, Abbasov said.
The head of the ministry also touched upon the project on the development of broadband internet throughout the country, implemented with the support of the State Oil Fund.
Work on implementation of the three-year project worth $450 million has already begun. According to the minister, successful implementation of the project will increase the level of internet penetration to 85 per cent from the current 70 per cent.
He also said that the increase of Internet coverage of the population will expand the number of users of e-services.
"Today, e-services are used by seven per cent of the population. By 2020, this figure will reach 100 per cent," Abbasov said.
