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BAKU, Azerbaijan, March 13. Cooperation between
bp and the Azerbaijani Small and Medium Business Development Agency
(SMBDA) will positively impact the growth of profitability in the
regions, SMBDA Board Chairman Orkhan Mammadov said, trend reports.
Mammadov made the remark at the signing ceremony of a memorandum
of understanding between SMBDA and bp.
'The Memorandum of Understanding signed today will determine the
forms and mechanisms of interaction between the Small and Medium
Business Development Agency and bp within the framework of the
program on the support of the development of small and medium
businesses,” he noted.
“The projects implemented within the framework of this
cooperation will have a positive impact on increasing the level of
profitability of local communities in the regions and will
contribute to the development of self-employment by creating new
enterprises and jobs. At the same time, the experience of this
cooperation structure will be used in the implementation of other
projects ', the board chairman also said.
Mammadov reminded that bp has been operating in Azerbaijan for
more than 30 years. During this period, the company has constantly
carried out safe, responsible, and efficient economic transactions
with Azerbaijan in the implementation of a successful oil strategy,
and has made large investments in the country's economy.
He noted that over the years bp has played an exceptional role
in the introduction of new technological solutions in
Azerbaijan.
“The company has made significant contributions in areas such as
creating world-class construction and manufacturing facilities,
promoting social development by opening tens of thousands of jobs,
supporting areas such as professional growth, improving education,
and promoting sustainable development in hundreds of rural
communities,” the board chairman pointed out.“Besides, bp works
with innovative partners which are leaders in their fields to
deliver high-quality social investment projects and deliver
sustainable results.”
According to him, the established partnership framework between
SMBDA and bp was reflected in a Memorandum of Understanding signed
in December 2018, and they have since worked on a number of joint
initiatives.
For several years, bp has been a sponsor of the 'EY Entrepreneur
of the Year' competition, held in partnership with the agency,
Mammadov said.
SMBDA cooperated with bp in organizing exhibitions and fairs,
where special attention was paid to the participation of women,
people with disabilities, and start-ups, he noted.
'The document [memorandum of understanding] refers to the
organization of interaction in order to support the development of
small and medium-sized businesses, expand practical ties between
the public and private sectors, educate entrepreneurs, implement
various sustainable development initiatives in Azerbaijan,
including social projects aimed at supporting skills employment and
entrepreneurial activities of low-income persons,” the board
chairman said.
Moreover, the document regulates interaction, especially in
regions where oil and gas pipelines run, as well as in industries
that serve to support entrepreneurial activities throughout the
country, Mammadov added.
As he further noted, bp is one of the companies with progressive
corporate governance in the private sector. Being a participant of
important projects in Azerbaijan, it actively works in the field of
application of advanced technological equipment, implementation of
various innovations and social responsibility.
“SMBDA pays special attention to establishing mutually
beneficial cooperation relations with public and private
organizations in order to create new business entities, support the
development of micro, small and medium-sized businesses, more
efficient organization of entrepreneurial activities, and increased
professional responsibility in business management,” the board
chairman said.
He also said the agency's mandate allows donor organizations and
non-governmental organizations to coordinate projects and implement
joint initiatives in support of start-ups and entrepreneurs.
“As part of this cooperation, we can provide support measures to
expand the scope of involving the country's population in
entrepreneurial activities, including ensuring self-employment of
the low-income population, as well as coordinating such initiatives
of public and private organizations,” he explained.
Mammadov also pointed out that over the past period, the agency,
within the framework of cooperation with the Ministry of Labor and
Social Protection of the Population of Azerbaijan, has supported
the implementation of the self-employment program.
“At the same time, within the 'Development of Entrepreneurship
and Self-Employment in Villages' project, which started in 2021, 15
rural guest houses were built in Ismayilli district, and 17 in
Astara, Lerik and Lankaran districts, provided with the appropriate
equipment,” the board chairman said.
The agency provides various support mechanisms and service
networks, including SME Development Centers, SME Friend offices,
domestic market research support, a grant program, and market entry
support, and is involved in the implementation of various projects
for SMEs, he noted.
“We believe that pooling shared resources and undertaking joint
initiatives with partners in the public and private sectors will
improve the results and impact of our activities both
quantitatively and qualitatively,” Mammadov also noted.
Besides, this memorandum will create more opportunities for the
development, support and implementation of new business ideas of
innovative entrepreneurship based on the implementation of joint
initiatives, he concluded.
The SMBDA was established under the Decree of the President of
the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev dated December 28,
2017.
bp first arrived in Azerbaijan and opened its first office in
Baku in June 1992. Over the past years, in partnership with the
Government of Azerbaijan and the company's co-venturers,
bp-operated world-class projects – Azeri-Chirag-Gunashli (ACG),
Shah Deniz, Baku-Tbilisi-Ceyhan (BTC) and South Caucasus Pipeline
(SCP) – have contributed to the development of the Caspian Sea as a
modern hydrocarbon province.