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President Aliyev: Despite sharp drop in oil prices, Azerbaijan will implement all social programs in 2016

24 December 2015 14:48 (UTC +04:00)

Baku - APA. “I really want all disabled people living in Azerbaijan to play an active role in the society, so that they cannot be isolated from society. I want them to be employed and provided with good conditions. They should be respected in the society,” said Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev.

He made the remarks Dec.24 at the opening ceremony of a new residential building constructed for visually impaired people.

The government fulfills all its obligations in this area, President Aliyev said, stressing the importance of the entire society’s involvement in such initiatives.

According to the president, major reforms are underway in the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection.

These reforms aim to solve the problems of all the people in need and fully ensure fairness, he noted.

“Perhaps, you know that in previous years, disabled persons had to prove them being disabled in many cases to get references and level of disability. The ongoing reforms are radically changing the situation. Moreover, in some cases, non-disabled people to get the level of disability resorted to various tricks. This, of course, is unacceptable,” he added.

The president said the citizens themselves should be responsible in this matter, not ruling out improper activities of state officials.

“Therefore, strict control is necessary in this area. The government for its part fulfils and will further fulfill all its obligations. The problems of the people in need of targeted social assistance are in the spotlight. Today’s event shows that we are on the right way,” he noted.

The head of state went on to add that AZN 10 million has been recently allocated from the president’s reserve fund to the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population for the construction of a building for martyr families and disabled war veterans. “In the near future, the Cabinet of Ministers will also allocate at least this sum of funds for the continuation of this work.”

Azerbaijan’s economy is not the same as it was in previous years, said the president, stressing that the country’s incomes have also been affected by the threefold decline in oil prices. “Budget expenditures and budget revenues declined. It is natural. The ongoing processes in the world have already begun to affect Azerbaijan and most oil-rich countries are faced with the same situation. However, Azerbaijan has preserved economic stability and economic development. All social projects were implemented in 2015.”

Despite the sharp drop in oil prices, all social programs will be implemented in Azerbaijan next year, said Aliyev. “Azerbaijani citizens can be assured that there will be no job cuts in social sphere.”

The president said government agencies should work more effectively and financial and economic transparency must be fully ensured. “In this case, Azerbaijan will achieve good results in 2016. I want to say once again that our policy will focus on the Azerbaijani citizens in the coming years. In particular, those who is in need of state care.”