News in brief

MOSCOW INTERESTED IN AZERI LIGHT INDUSTRY

A meeting of the Center for Business Cooperation between Azerbaijan and Russia was held at the Ministry of Economics Thursday. The center was founded in 1999 following an agreement between mayor's offices of Baku and Moscow, head of the light industry department under the Ministry Ali Aliyev told Azernews.

The parties explored for opportunities of business contacts. The visitors were provided with sample light industry products of the Shaki silk-worm breeding enterprise and the Nakhchivan sewing factory.

HOUSING PROBLEMS STILL ACUTE

75,000 people are currently awaiting apartments in Baku, while a total of 350,000 are registered throughout the republic, says head of the architecture and urban construction department under the Mayor's office of Baku Elbay Gasimzadeh.

According to him, his department has been in talks with the government and the Mayor on development of the Baku general plan in accordance with contemporary requirements. However, due to financial constraints the work cannot proceed.

AZERIS TO STUDY IN USA

34 students and teachers selected from the five Baku schools will travel to Florida on February 4 on the NIS Secondary Partnership Program in Azerbaijan. This program links Baku and Miami-dale Country Public Schools for the academic year of 2000-2001. Pre-departure orientation for participants of the Program will take place on January 26 at 3-6 p.m. in Baku Education Information Center, 98, Shamsi Badalbeyli St., Opera Studio, 3rd floor.

Representatives of media are welcome to attend this event any time at 3-6 p. m. Press availability will be set during coffee brakes.

DEMONSTRATION DUE ON DAY OF YOUTH

The Union of Young Patriots (UYP) is expected to hold a demonstration on the occasion of the Youth Day to be attended by officers, cadets, orchestra of the military lyceum, athletes from the "Dynamo" society, representatives of a number of public and sport organizations and Ministry of Defense.

Demonstrators are expected to proceed from the Museum of Arts and Literature to the AzNeft Square of Baku.

8 JOBLESS PER VACANCY

According to official statistics as of early 2001, there are 43,000 unemployed in Azerbaijan, with 8 registered jobless per vacancy.

According to international organizations and independent experts, only one in 15 job-seekers has managed to receive the status of the unemployed, while the unemployment allowance (around AZM52,500, or $11) is received only by one in 17 unemployed.

BAKU CARGO STATION MAKING PROFIT

In 2000, the Baku cargo station processed over half a million tons of cargoes, over-fulfilling the railway carriage loading plan by 31.3%. The profit of AZM135,189,000 has been earned, says manager of the station Mail Asadov.

According to him, the January dispatch plan has already been over-fulfilled by 634 railway cars.

Tender for gas pipeline construction to be announced shortly

A tender for construction of the gas pipeline from Garadagh to the "Severnaya" power station has been prepared and will be announced shortly, president of "AzeriGas" JSC Alikhan Malikov said Saturday.

According to him, 9 companies are to take part in the tender. Besides, representatives of the Japanese Development Bank, which funds the project, are expected to arrive in Baku shortly to monitor the tender procedure.

13.8% OF INDUSTRIAL GOODS PRODUCED BY JSCs

The share of joint stock companies in the production of industrial goods is on the increase. In 2000, there were 228 JSCs in Azerbaijan, which produced 2,203.6 billion manats worth of industrial goods, 13.8% of total industrial output (totaling 15.95 trillion manats) were made up of JSC.

HALF OF POPULATION SAVINGS IN PRIVATE BANKS

As of early 2001, total population savings in banks constituted around 400 billion manats, of which 56% is kept in private banks. 15% is kept in manats, while the rest in hard currency.

101 SMALL ENTERPRISES PRIVATIZED IN DECEMBER 2000

3,410,453,000 manats entered the state budget from the privatization of 101 small enterprises in December 2000, according to the Ministry for State Property.

PRIVATIZATION FETCHES 459,068, 000,000 MANATS FOR BUDGET

Since the beginning of privatization, 459,068,000,000 manats have been transferred to state budget. Of this amount, 236,708,000,000 manats occur on privatization of small enterprises, the Ministry for State Property told Azernews Tuesday.

In 2000, lease of state property fetched over 12,201,000,000 manats, or 122% of the yearly plan, for state budget.

PRIVATE INDUSTRY SHARE UP

In 2000, 42.6%, or 7.8 trillion manats, of total industrial output was made up of the private sector. In 1999, this figure constituted 33%.

As where total industrial production in 2000 rose 6.9%, the growth in private sector made up 12%.

FIRST STAGE OF AZERIGAS PRIVATIZATION PROGRAM READY

According to a presidential decree, the first stage of the "AzeriGas" JSC privatization program has been prepared and will be launched in mid-year, president of the company Alikhan Malikov said Friday.

He added that privatized on the first stage will be gas processing plants, not the enterprises consuming gas.

THREE FOURTHS OF PROFIT FETCHED BY OIL PRODUCTION AND REFINING

According to preliminary estimates, economic enterprises of Azerbaijan (excluding agricultural) fetched the profit of 2.2 trillion manats in 2000. The profit of 1.6 trillion manats was made by oil producing and refining enterprises.

PER CAPITA INCOME $41 PER MONTH

In 2000, nominal monetary income of the population made up 17.9 trillion manats, or 2,261,000 manats per capita. Average monthly income constituted 188,400 manats, or $41.

Subsistence minimum is at least twice the amount.

ENTERPRISES OWED 17 TRILLION

As of early 2001, the arrears in mutual accounts of enterprises and organizations exceeded 17 trillion manats. 45% of the debt was formed in transactions with SOCAR enterprises, while 28% with "AzerEnergy" JSC.

PRIVATE BANKS ISSUE OVER A THIRD OF CREDITS

As of early 2001, credits in excess of 2,350,000,000,000 manats, or 12% over 1999, were invested in the Azerbaijan economy. Three-fourths of the credits (76%) were short-term.

38% of credit investments were made by private banks, whose share in crediting has risen 2% to 1999.

The share of overdue credits has constituted 23%.

AZERBAIJAN REPAYING ARREARS

In the course of the year 2000, Azerbaijan repaid the credit arrears of $64 million to the IMF, according to the National Bank of Azerbaijan. The debt was repaid in quarterly installments of $16 million each. The process will be continued this year as well.

Azerbaijan's foreign debt on long-term credits constitutes some $600 million, most of which were issued on advantageous terms. The repayment of long-term credits started last year, while the biggest payments will be made in 2001-2005.

COMMUNICATION SECTOR CONTRIBUTES AZM85.6BN TO BUDGET

AZM85.6bn to state budget Construction of the Azerbaijan section of the fiber-optic cable line Trans-Asia-Europe (TAE) completed in 2000, the tariff profit plan over-fulfilled by 3.8%, volume of services to the population brought to AZM181, number telephone users increased to 61,580, AZM85.6 billion were transferred to the state budget, Ministry of Communication said Monday following a nation-wide meeting of communicators specialists dedicated to results of 2000 and prospects for 2001.

Azernews

AssA-Irada