Azerbaijan working to up self-employment: minister
Proposals are being prepared in Azerbaijan to increase self-employment, Economy Minister Shahin Mustafayev said at a ministry meeting in Baku.
The proposals are being prepared jointly with the Azerbaijani Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of Population, according to him.
Mustafayev said currently, industrial zones and parks are being created, which will allow increasing employment in the business sector and give momentum to the development of the non-oil sector.
He noted that the Mingachevir and Pirallahi industrial parks are now being constructed, adding the Sumgait Chemical Industrial Park, Balakhani and Garadagh industrial parks already operate in Azerbaijan.
The economy minister said it is planned to open nearly 2,000 jobs in the Sumgait Chemical Industrial Park and investments in this park will be about $1.2 billion.
“Investments in the Balakhani Industrial Park will amount to 22 million manats. Five waste recycling enterprises will start operating in the park in the first half of 2017, which will provide employment to almost 400 people,” according to Mustafayev.
He added that the Garadagh Industrial Park attracted investments worth $470 million, which will allow creating 2,000 new jobs.
“In addition, building nine mills in the Mingachevir Industrial Park will create more than 5,500 new jobs. Investments in this park will amount to 150-200 million manats.”
Mustafayev noted that in total, 85,000 new jobs have been created in Azerbaijan as of early April 2017, including more than 40,000 jobs in the private sector.
PwC, SAP organise “Technologies in Transforming World” Business Forum
PwC and SAP organized a “Technologies in the Transforming World” Business Forum in Baku.
In this increasingly transforming world, businesses have to adapt to the realities driven by the global technological progress. Azerbaijan is in the middle of this transformation process and there is a strong will by the Government and businesses to achieve higher transparency and increase the efficiency of business processes through innovations.
“The company’s competitiveness and success in today’s market depends largely on our ability to manage external and internal change quickly and proactively. Efficient management systems allow us to enhance our competitive position by optimising and standardising business processes in line with international best practice as well as ensuring operational and financial transparency. One key milestone on the road to building an efficient management system is the implementation of latest information technologies”, mentioned Suleyman Gasimov, the Vice-President of SOCAR during the opening ceremony.
According to PwC’s 20th Annual Global CEO Survey, speed of technological change (70%) is in top 5 concerns for CEOs over the world. 93% of CEOs think that technology will significantly reshape competition in a number of industries in the next five years.
“It is obvious that global digital transformation will heavily impact companies’ business operations all over the world. At PwC, we strongly believe that technological transformation is a significant strategic move to be led by the leadership to ensure long-term and sustainable growth. Being a technology driven Firm, we have been a part of this process and helped our clients in becoming successful by leveraging our knowledge and bringing them high-end solutions from strategy through execution”, said Emin Shikhgayibov, Advisory Partner, PwC Azerbaijan.
The program of the forum featured a wide spectrum of topics related to digital transformation process including technology and people changes, latest trends and global practice based on the results of the most recent researches conducted by PwC and SAP. Speakers included the representatives of the Government and senior international and local experts of PwC and SAP. The forum was attended by large businesses, government entities and business associations interested in implementation of digital transformation process.
“The goal of our business forum is to help Azerbaijani companies interested in transformation to prepare for the transition: set their priorities and choose appropriate digital instruments. SAP has more than 40 years of successful experience working with businesses and governments all over the world. The company’s portfolio features 400+ solutions for more than 26 different industries. We are happy to share our expertise with Azerbaijan,” - noted Rufat Hajialibayov, Managing Director at SAP Azerbaijan.
By combining management consulting with IT know-how, PwC and SAP have expressed their firm commitment to support the Government and businesses in driving successful digital transformation and get more value from their investments.
At PwC, our purpose is to build trust in society and solve important problems. We are a network of firms in 157 countries with more than 223,000 people who are committed to delivering quality in assurance, advisory and tax services. Find out more and tell us what matters to you by visiting us at www.pwc.com/az
Over 140 professionals from 6 countries working in PwC Azerbaijan share their thinking, values, experience and solutions to develop fresh perspectives and practical advice for our clients.
“PwC” refers to the network of member firms of PricewaterhouseCoopers International Limited, each of which is a separate and independent legal entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details.
SAP has been an active player on Azerbaijani market for quite some time. Today the company is serving more than 30 customers providing them with technology and experience to solve their business challenges. In the light of the current economic situation, companies tend to focus on optimizing their business processes and rapidly adapting to the new reality. In order to achieve these goals top management needs to consider a more comprehensive approach to utilizing their IT systems.