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NORWEGIAN EMBASSY ORGANIZES SEMINAR ON PIPELINES
The discussion of latest innovations in the area of pipeline operation has been the objective of a 4-day seminar that started at Europe Hotel Monday. It was organized by the Norwegian Petrad Foundation and the Embassy of Norway in Azerbaijan.
On the first day, participants spoke of the history and prospects of the gas transportation and distribution system in Azerbaijan, condition of offshore pipelines and gas processing facilities.
It was indicated that according to expert forecasts, the likely gas production rate per year in South Caspian basin will constitute 100 billion cubic meters in 2010-2020.
A representative of the Norwegian Oil Directorate Mr. Anfinsen informed the seminar of Norway's experience in construction and operation of gas pipelines.
Attending the seminar are representatives of Det Norske Veritas, Statoil, AzeriGas International, ABB Oil, Gas and Petrochemicals, the Alliance Technology A.S., CorrOcean ASA, etc.
DEFENSE MINISTRY INVITES BIDS FOR FOOD SUPPLIES
Defense Ministry is inviting bids for the supply of frozen beef, poultry, butter, and pickled tomatoes and cucumbers. Interested bidders can obtain a complete list of the foodstuffs required after paying a non-refundable participation fee ranging from AZM2 million to AZM8 million.
Bids can be submitted before June 15, 2001 and will be unsealed on the following day.
ELECTRONIC ENTERPRISES PREPARING FOR PRIVATIZATION
Proposals on denationalization of electronic enterprises are being put in place with an inventory and evaluation currently underway at the plants.
The package of proposals calls for privatization of some enterprises through investment competitions and some others on the basis of individual projects.
The process of preparation of the enterprises for privatization will complete in June. Detailed pre-privatization information will be put on web-sites of the enterprises, which include the Baku Air Conditioners Plant, the Refrigerators Plant, the Electronic Machinery Enterprise, etc.
FARMERS STILL WAITING FOR LOW-PRICE FUEL
As the year is approaching the equator, the Cabinet of Ministers has yet to respond to the Ministry of Agriculture's request for low-price fuel to farmers. A source from the Ministry told AssA-Irada Monday that earlier the Cabinet used to issue corresponding resolutions in January-February.
Due to the delay, cotton and grain plantations have considerably shrunk to 2000. The ministry says agricultural production will slow down if the situation doesn't change.
ENTREPRENEURS TO SIGN AGREEMENT WITH UKRAINE
The Azerbaijan Confederation of Entrepreneurs (ACE) is expected to sign a cooperation agreement with an analogous body of Ukraine, says ACE president Alakbar Mammadov.
The agreement will enable closer cooperation between the entrepreneurs of the two countries. The document is also expected to alleviate the problems of Ukrainian businessmen in Azerbaijan and Azeri businesses in Ukraine.
According to A. Mammadov, such agreements have been already signed with employer unions of Russia, Moldova, Georgia, Turkey, Albania and Slovakia.
ACE, which has over 600 members, is involved in 12 international projects.
NO STAFF CUT IN TRAMWAY DEPOT
Staff cut in the tramway depot, which was expected to follow the removal of streetcar railways in the Baku center, is not on agenda, with all 180 employees intended to stay. Neither has the number of tramways been reduced.
In a meeting with the Mayor of Baku Hajibala Abutalibov, who had resolved to remove the rails from the Hajibayli street till the 28 May underground station, the depot employees raised some of their housing problems. 25 of them have been provided with land plots in the Surakhani district of Baku, while 15 others have been registered as residents of Baku.
This fall, the tramway transport of Baku is going to turn 120.
POTENTIAL MERGER OF TAX AND CUSTOMS SERVICES CAUSING OPPOSITION
The much talked about merger of the state customs committee and the ministry of taxes has drawn heavy fire from Prime Minister Rasizadeh and presidential economic adviser Mail Rahimov. According to the latter, the IMF and WB-backed suggestion is totally unacceptable for Azerbaijan.
As an example, Mr. Rahimov referred to Georgia, where the merger of the two bodies failed to justify itself, as the taxes and other duties the two contributed to the state budget individually were considerably above those of their unified successor.
Given the rife tax evasion and widespread smuggling of goods across the borders, the presence of both bodies is highly desirable.
SES EXPERT IN BAKU
An expert of German Entrepreneurship Development Program "Senior Experten Servis" is expected to give consultations in Baku on ways of improving management and marketing systems. He will also conduct training sessions in polygraphic work.
Another expert is due to come to Baku on May 16 to provide counsel to a private furniture company, the SES coordinator in Azerbaijan Aida Jabiyeva said Thursday.
A total of 7 experts have visited Azerbaijan on the invitation of the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Agency (KOSIA-SMEDA), an authorized representative of SES in Azerbaijan. They have assisted local entrepreneurs in production of furniture, dairy products, textile, construction materials, as well as security systems.
CUSTOMS TARIFFS RISE TO GO DOWN THEN
The recently-adopted new system of tariffs has established an average tariff rate at 7.9% as opposed to 7.3% before. The new 3-year program of economic reforms envisions that the system safeguard the interests of domestic producers.
This was the bottom-line of a meeting of the chairman of the State Customs Committee Kamaladdin Heydarov with the head of the IMF mission in Azerbaijan Mr. John Wickman-Linn.
The parties decided that by the end of the program an average tariff rate could be lowered to 6.5%.
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© 1998-2003 Azernews. All Rights Reserved.
Issue No.19(201), 2001
Cavanaugh negotiates upcoming geneva talks with AliyevConference on Garabagh in GermanyOpposition outlines Garabagh settlement principlesBP launches new stageNews digestNationParliament newsOpposition newsBusinessOil & gas news
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