Page 75 - Azerbaijan State University of Economics
P. 75

Bahruz Babayev: Implementıng Growth Patterns and Diversification Issues of the Non-Oil Export Sector in
                                                         Azerbaijan


                    The  strategic  roadmap  also  includes  the  production  of  the  education  system  and
                    information  technology,  which  remains  one  of  the  most  important  factors  in  the
                    economy.  Production  of  information  technologies  and  production  of  high
                    technologies  are  important  for  Azerbaijan.  Although  high-tech  parks  have  been
                    established and given importance with the support of the state, the country has not
                    yet received any income in this area, and this issue remains in question. Despite all
                    this, a number of problems remain in increasing the export potential of the non-oil
                    export sector. Although the reforms launched in 2019 have been very successful in
                    increasing  the  export  potential  of  the  non-oil  sector,  a  diverse  range  of  problems
                    have been remaining in this area.
                    Initially, the biggest problem is the implementation of strategic roadmaps and the
                    creation of new institutions. The creation of new institutions increases government
                    spending, and their impact on development in the country is not studied. This must
                    be  seriously  analyzed  and  the  results  presented.  The  International  Trade  Center
                    report shows that, despite all efforts, trade competitiveness is characterized by low
                    productivity, limited access to financial resources, a protracted regulatory business
                    environment, and underdeveloped physical institutional management infrastructure.

                    While the reform at the end of 2019 looks very promising, it is not yet possible to
                    see how deep and consistent these institutional reforms will be. If the reforms are
                    consistent and all obstacles to business development are removed, competition can
                    lead to sustainable economic development  in  the  years  ahead. While Azerbaijan's
                    negotiations with the WTO continue, the issue of Azerbaijan's membership is still
                    delayed. WTO membership can allow Azerbaijan to quickly integrate into the world
                    economy,  trade  with  other  countries  in  accordance  with  WTO  rules,  obtain
                    additional support for economic reforms as well as attracting foreign investment to
                    the country.

                    CONCLUSION
                    This paper discussed growth patterns and diversification issues of the non-oil export
                    sector in Azerbaijan. Despite the fact that no accurate statistical data exist on what
                    percentage of the country's  national  income comes  from  oil, figures  from  various
                    international  organizations  and  portals  suggest  that  the  figure  varies  around  90
                    percent. Therefore, Azerbaijan has been implementing a number of programs and
                    strategies to develop the economy during the recent years.

                    Azerbaijan's  economic  diversification  policy  identifies  tourism,  agricultural
                    development,  telecommunications  and  information  technology  development  as
                    important areas for the Azerbaijani government. Development of small and medium-
                    sized businesses, increasing their export and competitive potential has been one of
                                                           75
   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80