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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
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