(MENAFN- Trend News Agency) BAKU, Azerbaijan, April 25. The number of SMEs
in Azerbaijan has increased by 45 percent and approached 356,000
over the past four years since the beginning of the activity of
Azerbaijan Small and Medium Business Development Agency (SMBDA),
Chairman of the Board of SMBDA Orkhan Mammadov said, trend reports.
Mammadov made the remark during an event themed "Heydar Aliyev
and development of entrepreneurship in Azerbaijan".
According to him, over the mentioned period, the share of SMEs
in non-oil GDP increased from 23.5 percent to 26.6 percent, and in
non-oil exports - from 23.3 percent in 2019 to 59.8 percent.
"We define our strategic agenda in the form of interaction with
entrepreneurs, studying their needs and development trends. To this
end, regular surveys are conducted with the involvement of internal
resources, professional companies, applications received from
entrepreneurs are analyzed, industry meetings and round tables are
organized,” he noted.
Based on the received data and analysis for the past period
created and put into operation a number of mechanisms to support
business entities and persons wishing to start entrepreneurial
activities, the official also said.
“Thus, the grant program for domestic market research, financing
of educational, scientific, research and auxiliary projects, the
issuance of a start-up certificate, which includes tax benefits,
access to large retail chains, participation in local and
international exhibitions are effective mechanisms for business
development," Mammadov said.
Besides, he noted that 'Houses of SMEs', operating in three
regions of Azerbaijan, provide 'G2B' [government-to-business] and
'B2B' [business-to-business] services in the 'one-stop shop'
format.
"In January 2023, with the participation of the head of state,
the opening of the Baku House of SMEs with wide functional and
technical capabilities took place. This is a bright example of the
attention paid by the country's leadership to the development of
entrepreneurship,” the board chairman emphasized.
Offices of 'Friend of SMEs', currently operating in 39 cities
and regions of Azerbaijan, provide locally comprehensive state
support for the creation of new business entities and the
development of existing ones, Mammadov said.
“In order to facilitate this, SME Development Centers were put
into operation in Baku and the regions of Azerbaijan. These centers
provide training, counseling and networking services free of
charge,” he reminded.
At the end of 2022, two more important legal documents related
to the SME sector were also adopted, the official also
reminded.
“These are a new law 'On development of micro-, small and
medium-sized businesses' and 'Exemplary regulations on clusters of
subjects of micro-, small and medium-sized businesses'. Practical
work has already begun on the establishment of SME cluster
companies, which are subject to a number of tax benefits," he
added.
The SMBDA was established under the Decree of the President of
the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev dated December 28,
2017.