Azerbaijan, Baku /corr. Trend S.Babayeva / There are nearly 3.5 computers for every 100 persons in Azerbaijan, an increase of 35% compared to the same period last year, said the Minister of Communications and Information Technology of Azerbaijan, Ali Abbasov, on 1 August during the meeting of the Cabinet of Ministers which was dedicated to the results of the social-economic development in the first half year of 2007 and tasks being faced. The meeting was presided by the President of Azerbaijan, Ilham Aliyev.
According to the Minister, the number of internet users per 100 people totaled 10, an increase of 25% from the same period in 2006. "Yet these indicators cannot keep pace with the average world indicators," the Minister said. Over the first half year, the IT growth in the Country totaled 20%, this is double the indicators worldwide.
In the recent years, the average annual IT growth has oscillated between 30% and 35%. Over the past six months, the amount of the IT revenue totaled AZN 307mln and the IT share in the GDP totaled 1.6%. The Minister considers that it is primarily linked with the rapid development of the oil sector over the past three years.
Abasov stressed that according to investigations by the international consulting company, the IT share in the GDP of Azerbaijan makes up nearly 4-5%.