INTERVIEWS
The government`s successful social policy has considerably improved people`s welfare
Q: Ms. Huseynova, Azerbaijan is experiencing rapid development. how do you assess the government`s policy in the social area?
A: As you know under the leadership of President Ilham Aliyev a successful social policy is carried out in Azerbaijan. This policy is aimed at ensuring a socially-oriented state building. Serious achievements have been made in this area in the past few years. This is evidenced by almost yearly growth of wages, pensions and social allowances. Poor families receive social assistance, necessary work is carried out to ensure the strengthening of social security of shahid families, Karabakh war disabled.
Social policy has a positive impact on all spheres of life in our country, this paves the way for further strengthening of people`s social security and improvement of their wellbeing.
One of the key priorities of the Azerbaijani government social policy is social security of the disabled. Considerable steps are being made in this field too. Hundreds of thousands of jobs have been created in the country in the past years, poverty level has been radically reduced.
I would also like to emphasize that some 30 percent of the state budget is meant for social spending. Continuous measures in social area demonstrate that the government of Azerbaijan is committed to improving the wellbeing of people and solving all their social problems.
Q: Azerbaijan is one of the leaders on the global scale in terms of economic development rate…
A: Azerbaijan has gone through a great development path. This was possible, first and foremost, thanks to a well though-out policy. Azerbaijan`s rapid economic growth is the result of President Ilham Aliyev`s policy in the field of politics and economy. Continuous development strategy is carried out in all areas, including the maintenance of macroeconomic stability, ensuring energy, food and environmental security, diversification of economy. The non-oil sector growth rate can also be considered a crucial result of economic diversification strategy. Effective distribution of oil revenues has paved the way for rapid development of all fields of economy.
Certainly rapid economic growth contributes to the improvement of people`s wellbeing. Fundamental measures towards reducing poverty and ensuring people`s employment play a profound role in fulfilling the tasks set.
Q: We would like to learn your opinion about the State Program on socio-economic development of the regions…
A: The government of Azerbaijan attaches particular importance to ensuring socio-economic development of the county`s regions. The effective use of the regions` potential, the improvement of socio-economic situation and the ensuring of balanced development of economy contributed to the expansion of infrastructure projects, and the opening of new production and processing enterprises, educational, healthcare, sports, recreational and cultural facilities. The expansion of local production paved the way for ensuring the more rapid development of the non-oil sector and improvement of the private sector. And regional entrepreneurs have certainly played a crucial role in this development process.
Q: What can you say of the government`s policy related to women?
A: The growing role of women in Azerbaijan`s socio-political life is one of the most remarkable achievements of our national statehood history. This success is based on rich traditions of the activity of women in politics in Azerbaijan on the one hand, and women policy priorities of the Azerbaijani government on the other.
Women make 50.3 percent of the population in Azerbaijan. The percentage of women`s presence in decision making bodies, including the Milli Majlis, and municipalities has considerably increased. If in 1990, women made just 4.3 percent of the total number of members of the parliament, this figure reached 10.7 percent in 2000, while today women make 16 percent of the total number of the Milli Majlis. This growth is a strong signal of women`s activity in the country`s socio-political life. This is why increasing the activity of women is our number one priority. The most important point is that we must pay much attention to quality. We need to ensure that intelligent women with high organizational skills and leadership abilities make it to municipalities.
Q: By the way how would you assess the presence of women in the recent municipal elections?
A: Previous years have proved that there are favorable conditions for the activities of municipalities in Azerbaijan. There has been certain revival in the activity of municipalities. And this is caused by serious reforms carried out by the government in this area.
Today Azerbaijani women take an active part in all the spheres of socio-political life, hold equal position with men and do not fall behind them at all. Our women have special services in the development of Azerbaijan statehood, economy, science, culture, the preservation of national and moral values. So the New Azerbaijan Party attached particular importance to women factor at the recent municipal election. Before the election YAP Women`s Council organized numerous events, meetings and awareness raising campaigns in regions to ensure active involvement of women in the elections. And our expectations were justified as women were actively involved in this campaign.