Strategic Roadmap on the production of consumer goods at the level of Small and Medium-sized Entrepreneurship discussed

At the Centre for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (CAERC), "Strategic Roadmap on the production of consumer goods at the level of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises" was discussed. At the event, the state of implementation of the measures envisaged being implemented within the framework of Implementation, Monitoring, Evaluation, Coordination, and Communication issues in accordance with the Program Management and the difficulties faced in this process, the opportunities for accelerating the execution of tasks were analyzed.

Director of the Centre for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (CAERC) Vusal Gasimli said that the document defines the planned implementation of measures on 5 Strategic Targets and 21 Strategic Priorities to achieve the goals set for 2020. These goals consists of activities toward measures aimed at improving Business Environment and regulatory framework for SMEs, ensuring useful and efficient access of SMEs to financial resources, internationalization of SMEs and increasing access to foreign markets, increasing knowledge and skills of SMEs, accelerating the application of advanced practices, promoting innovation, expanding research and development activities for SMEs.

It was noted that significant progress has been made in this regard over the past years and the necessary steps have been taken. Director of the Centre for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (CAERC) Vusal Gasimli said that as a result of the economic reforms carried out by the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mr. Ilham Aliyev, Small and Medium-sized Entrepreneurship and Business Environment, in general, demonstrate a dynamic development trend. Within the framework of the implementation of Strategic Roadmap, the Agency for Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), the State Agency for Antimonopoly Policy and Supervision of the Consumer Market, the "Licenses and Permits" portal, Azerbaijan Mortgage and Credit Guarantee Fund (MCGF), the State Registry for Encumbrance of Movable Property were established. In addition, measures such as the application of Regulatory Impact Analysis (RIA), Minimum Participation Rate of SMEs in Public Procurement, the suspension of inspections until 2021 and the benefits and privileges granted to residents of industrial clusters were implemented.

During the discussions, it was noted that the Implementation, Monitoring, and Evaluation of Strategic Roadmaps implemented under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev further increase the efficiency, transparency, and accountability of Management as a whole.

Under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev, the stabilization of the national economy in 2017, the revival of the economy in 2018 and the high growth rate in 2019 were ensured. If the country's GDP decreased by 3.1 percent in 2016, the rapid reaction to economic processes and the selection of the right strategic line, the pace of Economic Development has started to be restored since 2017. Thus, if in 2017 and 2018, GDP growth was 0.1 and 1.4 percent respectively, while in the first 8 months of 2019, GDP growth rate reached 2.4 percent, Non-oil and Gas sector growth rate was 3 percent, Oil and Gas sector increased by 1.6 percent and the stability of the national currency were achieved. Furthermore, compared to 2017, inflation fell from 12.9 percent to 2.6 percent in the first 8 months of 2019.

It should be noted that representatives of the Presidential Administration, the Ministry of Economy, the Agency for Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs), AZPROMO, and the Institute for Scientific Research on Economic Reforms (ISRER) participated in the discussions on the “Strategic Roadmap for the production of consumer goods at the level of Small and Medium-sized Entrepreneurship”.