Upon the decree of Azerbaijani President dated December 28, 2017, the Agency for Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises under the Ministry of Economy was established. Minister of Economy Shahin Mustafayev’s interview with APA-Economics on activity directions of the Agency, and role in development of entrepreneurship:
- What was the reason for establishment of this agency?
- In accordance with the socio-economic development strategy pursued under the leadership of Azerbaijani president, measures for expansion of entrepreneurship and increase of role in economy, improvement of business and investment environment are regularly being continued. Reforms are underway in support of private sector, protection of rights and interests of entrepreneurs, mechanisms meeting modern challenges are applied for development of this field.
As a result of measures on state support to entrepreneurship, number of entrepreneurial subjects increased by 4.3-fold during past 15 years. Share of private sector exceeded 80% in GDP, 75% in employment.
Continuation of successes necessitates improvement of regulatory system of the entrepreneurship, expansion of technical, financial, legal and methodical support to entrepreneurship, especially small and medium-sized enterprises (SME), increase of quality and institutional approach in this field.
Taking into account abovementioned facts and targets provided in “The Strategic Roadmap for the production of consumer goods at the level of small and medium entrepreneurship" approved by Azerbaijani President’s decree dated December 6, 2016, the president signed a decree on ‘Improvement of management in small and medium-sized businesses’ on December 28, 2017. According to the decree, a public legal entity Agency for Development of Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEDA) was established under the Ministry of Economy.
While preparing proposals in this field, progressive management experience applied in international practice in the field of development and regulation of entrepreneurship was researched.
- What are the main activity directions of the agency?
- The main duty of the Agency is to increase the role and significance, competitiveness of the small and medium-sized enterprises, support its development, provide services to them, coordination of activities of the state bodies and organizations in this field, prepare proposals on improvement of state regulatory system in small and medium-sized enterprises and use the international practice in the field of state support.
In accordance with the duties defined by the head of state, the Agency should provide assistance to the development of support infrastructure to the small and medium-sized enterprises, organize involvement of financial funds from local, foreign and international organizations, preparation and execution of purposed programmes.
One more activity direction of the agency is to provide access for small and medium-sized enterprises to the services of training, consultation, innovation, law, finance, as well as personnel and information-communication resources, support to marketing and sales, organize international communicative mechanisms such as project management, corporative management and etc., as well as services provided by state bodies and organizations in a single places – SME Houses, electronize state services provided to entrepreneurs.
Moreover, SMEDA will take measures on expansion of SMEs’ participation in state procurements, prepare proposals on protection of rights of small and medium-sized entrepreneurial subjects, involvement of local and foreign organizations in supporting of SMEs, improvement of normative legal base.
- What will give SMEDA’s activity to the small and medium-sized enterprises?
- Along with abovementioned activity directions of the agency, conduction of other services for SMEs, especially markets researches, establishment of contacts with scientific and research and education enterprises, and application of leading scientific-technological innovations, support to sales and provision of other services via SME houses will be effective for entrepreneurs.
Along with this, single information portal will be created for SME subjects to have access to legal and business knowledge, strengthening of business and partnership.
- What works are being done for organization of the Agency’s activity?
- Currently, organizational measures are being taken for SMEDA’s activity and works on formation of aerial normative legal base are underway.
Orkhan Mammadov, who has been worked at the Ministry of Economy for a long time, has been appointed as CEO of the Agency.
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