The Azerbaijan Entrepreneurs Confederation gave a report

The executive office of National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers) Organizations of the Republic of Azerbaijan has presented to the Presidium about works done in 2019.

A meeting about this has been held under chairmanship of the ASK President, Mammad Musayev. Deputy Secretary General of the ASK, Kristina Mammadova during her speech reminded that significant changes had taken in the economic life of our country in 2019. K. Mammadova said that serious steps taken by the state in the field of entrepreneurship have a positive impact on economic activity, then informed that the ASK has expanded its activities over the past year, and ASK has done important work aiming at protecting the rights of entrepreneurs and educate them.

Note that, according to the report, 56% of the ASK member companies are micro, 23% are small, 20% are medium and 11% are large. There are also 41 associations under the umbrella of the Confederation. In 2019, more 68 new companies became members of the Confederation with voting in the Presidium.

14 commissions operate within the ASK which represents various sectors of business,19 meetings of this commissions have been held in 2019. Related to reforms implemented in the customs and tax system, meetings of commissions “Work with trade enterprises” and “Work with transport logistics enterprises” became more frequent, and related to difficulties entrepreneurs face, the ASK held meetings of the Bilateral Cooperation Councils with relevant government agencies. Most of the issues raised have been resolved positively.

By the way, there are Bilateral Cooperation Councils between the ASK-State Customs Committee and the ASK-State Tax Service, and two separate meetings of each council were held. Issues on methods of determining customs value of goods, issues related to the prevention of imports of counterfeit goods, problems in import of incentive equipment, delays at customs checkpoints, unnecessary loading of customs examination, etc. were discussed in the meetings.

Also, issuance of permits (amnesty) for the inclusion of undocumented fixed assets and goods in the balance sheet on the basis of valuation, abolition of advance VAT, differentiation of VAT, ensuring efficiency of VAT refunds, payment during online clerical process, mutual proposals were voiced on solving problems, and many of the issues raised were reflected in the “Tax Code”.

In 2019, the ASK received 1,059 letters, some part of letters was in the content of tenders, taxes, implementation of investment promotion documents, currency regulation regime, outdoor advertising rules, financial accessibility.

It should be noted that the Azerbaijan Entrepreneurs Confederation, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection, the Confederation of Azerbaijan Trade Unions are jointly represented in the Tripartite Commission. During the past period, “Draft Law of the Republic of Azerbaijan on Employers’ Unions”, “Registration of labor relations of persons working in seasonal jobs”, “Paid educational leave” topics have been discussed.

In 2019, the ASK expanded lobbying activities and currently has representatives operating in 38 regions of Azerbaijan and 18 countries abroad..

The ASK held 232 events in 2019, and number of participants in the events is more than 26,000 234,000. 13 understanding memorandums were signed between the ASK and relevant agencies of foreign countries.14 business missions have been organized to foreign countries. Business meetings held with business circles of foreign countries, diplomatic missions and donor organizations were successful.

The ASK sent 46 online “Bulletins” to entrepreneurs every weekend all around the year to monitor economic events in our country and around the world, as well as to educate and raise awareness of entrepreneurs. Trainings were held on the following topics: taxes, compulsory insurance, calculation of state insurance premiums, copyright, etc.

Deputy Chairman of the Small and Medium Business Development Agency, Mehman Abbasov, who attended in the meeting, said that the ASK has entered a qualitatively new stage in its operation: “The ASK has turned to real force among entrepreneurs. We must join forces and work together, especially in the development of small and medium enterprises.”

Members of the Presidium, Elkhan Bashirov, Sakina Babayeva, Zakir Nuriyev, Abbas Ibrahimov, Jala Hajiyeva, Vugar Abbasov, Rauf Kazimov made speeches about report.

23 out of 25 members of the Presidium attended in the meeting, and issues on the agenda were discussed and adopted.