20 years ago, the nationwide leader Heydar Aliyev met with local businessmen on 25 April 2002, and later, in May, he also met with foreign businesspeople. It has been 7 years

since April 25 was declared in our country the Day of Entrepreneurs following the order of Mr. Ilham Aliyev, the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, dated 21 April 2016.

Titled 'The role of entrepreneurship in the development of the economy' and dedicated to the Day of Entrepreneurs, a conference was held on April 25th with the support of the Ministry of Economy, Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBİA), and the National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers) Organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan. The event was attended by members of the Milli Majlis (Parliament), representatives of relevant government agencies, public associations of entrepreneurs as well as entrepreneurs   working in various fields.

In the first place, the conference participants visited the grave of the nationwide leader Heydar Aliyev in the Alley of Honour and paid tribute to his memory by laying a wreath at his monument. In the Alley of Shahids, the conference participants also laid a wreath at the Eternal Flame memorial complex to honor the memory of our heroes who gave their lives for the independence and territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan.

The conference began with a moment of silence in memory of our martyrs.

Then, a film was shown about the measures taken to develop the private sector and the successes achieved in our country.

Congratulating the entrepreneurs, Minister of Economy Mikayil Jabbarov emphasized the indispensable role played by the nationwide leader in the development of entrepreneurship, the establishment, and development of the private sector in Azerbaijan as well as the successful continuation of this policy against the backdrop of global challenges under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev. It was noted that the business, investment climate, and legislative framework have undergone continuous improvement and that the relations between entrepreneurs and the state, as well as between the state and businesses, are successfully developing. As a result of purposeful measures taken since 2003, the economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan has grown 3.4 times: industry grew 3.7 times, agriculture surged 2 times, while foreign trade turnover increased 6.8 times. It was noted that from the start of the pandemic, serious tasks have been assigned to state bodies to reduce the pandemic’s negative impact on the national economy, macroeconomic stability, employment, and private sector; extensive economic support package programs have been adopted with comprehensive business support measures and financial and economic support programs implemented. These measures ensured the sustainability of the economy and entrepreneurial activity in the country. The social responsibility exhibited by entrepreneurs during this period and the support provided to the Yashat Fund and the Karabakh Revival Fund represent a direct consequence of a purposeful policy aimed at developing entrepreneurship and an indicator of the development of human capital. The implementation of the measures and the effective public-private partnerships enabled us to prevent recession and accelerate growth within a short time. It is not by chance that the work done to minimize the impact of the pandemic and the measures taken to restore and develop the economy made it possible to end the year 2021 with economic growth of 5.6 percent. It was emphasized that economic progress determines the development of all areas, including the strengthening of our army. In this context, entrepreneurs made a special contribution to the glorious victory achieved in the 44-day Patriotic War under the leadership of Supreme Commander-in-Chief Ilham Aliyev.

Speaking about the measures that will be implemented in the coming period to expand business activity, the Minister of Economy said that in the coming period, steps will be taken to promote entrepreneurship and stimulate businesses. It was noted that the improvement of  the country's business attractiveness, providing entrepreneurs with

more convenient and systematic access to financial markets, increasing their share in traditional markets, facilitating their access to new markets, the improvement of tax

and customs administration, and labor relations, and introduction of the relevant measures in other areas will create new opportunities for the development and strengthening

of the private sector.

Minister of Labor and Social Protection Sahil Babayev stressed the importance of support and participation of the private sector in the Employment Marathon, which ensures the implementation of social support and active employment programs for vulnerable people as well as the employment of families of martyrs and war veterans as part of corporate social responsibility projects implemented by the private sector that plays an important role in the country's economy. The Minister underscored that the projects jointly implemented with the private sector in the area of the social partnership will be expanded in the future.

Tahir Mirkishili, a deputy of the Milli Majlis and Chairman of the Committee for Economic Policy, Industry, and Enterprising, emphasized the importance of strengthening the legal framework to ensure the sustainable development of entrepreneurship. He noted that considering the existing needs and realities, the focus is always on updating the legislation, which contributes to the expansion of economic activity. 

President of the National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers) Organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan Mammad Musayev mentioned that entrepreneurs also contribute to the achievements of Azerbaijan. It was noted that the Confederation of Entrepreneurs of Azerbaijan uniting thousands of businesses, including more than 70 associations and unions, spares no effort to further strengthen the cooperation between the state and entrepreneurs.

Orkhan Mammadov, Chairman of the Board of the Small and Medium Business Development Agency (KOBİA), noted that the development of small and medium businesses in the country represents one of the national priorities, and informed about the measures taken in this area, the activities and the mechanisms of support implemented by the Agency.

In his speech, Sattar Mehbaliyev, Chairman of the Confederation of Trade Unions of the Republic of Azerbaijan and a member of the Milli Majlis, talked about the importance of the establishment of proper relations between entrepreneurs and workers and their positive impact on the entrepreneurship.

Entrepreneurs Jemal Yangin, Chairman of the Board of Azerbaijan-Turkey Business Association (ATIB), and Elkhan Bashirov, Chairman of the Association of Manufacturers of Building Materials of Azerbaijan, told the audience about their impressions of the meetings the nationwide leader Heydar Aliyev held with entrepreneurs, his instructions and recommendations, including the meeting of entrepreneurs with the great leader held on 25 April 2002, and shared their views on the ongoing reforms for the development of the private sector.

At the end of the conference, the conference participants adopted an address to the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan Ilham Aliyev.

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