The Budgetary Envelope was discussed in the second reading at the scheduled parliamentary plenum on 23 November that was presided over by Chair of the Milli Majlis Sahiba Gafarova and was attended by members of the Government.

A discussion revolving round the issues du jour followed the adoption of the 24-item agenda of the sitting. Several highlights were brought up by the MPs Soltan Mammadov, Gudrat Hasanguliyev, Hikmat Mammadov, Aydin Mirzazade, Tural Ganjaliyev, Razi Nurullayev, Zahid Oruj, Fazil Mustafa, Tahir Karimli and Siyavush Novruzov. They aimed their severe tirades at the recent reception by officials of the French Senate of Armenian separatists coming from the provinces of Azerbaijan where the Russian peace-makers are deployed temporarily. The MPs’ stringent rebuttals were evoked by the lamentable fact that certain French officials had found it fit to receive those separatists as ‘official persons: a minister and a speaker of parliament’. This occurrence is the consequence of a mistaken assessment of the post-war realia established in the South Caucasus whilst also being a manifestation of double standard. Besides, such a biased move poses threats to restoration of peace in the region. The MPs gainsaid any acts of the kind as those limiting what co-operation opportunities France could use in the new state of affairs in the South Caucasus.

After the current issues had been talked of, the House moved on to the agenda and its item. Speaker Sahiba Gafarova reminded them that 22 out of the 24 Bills coming up for the second reading were concerned with the 2022 State Budget and the Budgetary Envelope.

The bills in the Envelope were coming up for consideration in accordance with the second-reading procedural regulations.

The draft 2022 State Budget of the Azerbaijan Republic was tabled in the second reading by Chairman of the Economic Policy, Industries and Enterprising Committee Tahir Mirkishili who said that both the Government members and the MPs had supplied ample information about the document during the first reading. As many as 28 MPs spoke then. The second reading had been forerun by the extensive discussions held by the parliamentary committee – including the one by the Economic Policy, Industries and Enterprising Committee that had gone with the attendance of members of all the committees as well as other MPs and officials of the concerned ministries. Ultimately, a favourable verdict had been passed on the Bill. A number of issues that had drawn the legislators’ attention had been clarified and their questions had been answered at the same committee meeting, according to Mr Mirkishili.

The committee chairman reminded the House that the revenues and expenditures of the 2022 State Budget would equal AZN 26.8 bn and AZN 29.9 bn respectively. He then went through several substantial budgetary parameters, adding that the comprehensive and professional discussions at both the parliamentary committee meetings and the plena were indicative of efficient co-operation between the legislature and the government. What matters also is, again, that the 2022 State Budget would supply the adequate financial resources for the intended achievement of the goals the country will have next year – as much as facing the forthcoming challenges.

Deliberations followed. Comments were made by Vugar Bayramov, Tahir Karimli, Sabir Rustamkhanli, Elshad Mirbashir oglu, Jala Aliyeva, Bakhtiyar Aliyev, Tahir Rzayev, Naghif Hamzayev, Aydin  Huseynov, Gudrat Hasanguliyev, Malahat Ibrahimghizi, Fazil Mustafa, Jabi Guliyev, Sattar Mehbaliyev, Eldar Ibrahimov, Sadig Gurbanov, Iltizam Yusifov, Tural Ganjaliyev, Isa Habibbayli, Etibar Aliyev, Azer Karimli and Aghil Mammadov. They put forward their conclusions and proposals regarding the Bill to the attending governmental officials and drove for the problems of their electoral areas to be taken account of in the Budget. The subjects of inflation, price-hiking and price rises, monopolism, undertaking infrastructural projects with a focus on provinces of the country, boosting investments’ payload and others were broached as well.

The speakers emphasised that the 2022 State Budget, the largest ever in the whole independent history of the country, came as a proof of the economic power and potential of Azerbaijan as well as a pledge of what steps are to be taken for the future of the country. The Budget is wrought rationally in part concerning revenue sources and expenditure items. It takes into account the targets important for the advance of the areas that make the national priorities and the new challenges posed by the current global developments alike, in the opinion of the law-makers.

The 2022 State Budget is important, both socio-politically and historically, because it will be the budget of the year of the Great Return. The new Envelope contains the certain novelties that distinguish it from the budgets of the preceding years. The nation hailed the plan to allocate AZN 2.2 bn for building and re-building in the de-occupied provinces; at the same time, it has caused the intense interest of the international business circles, the MPs were saying.

Next, Deputy Minister of Economy Sevinj Hasanova, Minister of Finance Samir Sharifov and Chairman of the Chamber of Accounts Vugar Gulmammadov shed light on what aspects of the Budgetary Envelope the MPs had touched on previously. Besides, the governmental officials answered the MPs’ questions.

The voting followed; the 17-article Bill ‘On the 2022 State Budget of the Azerbaijan Republic’ was voted through the second reading.  

That was followed by the overview of the second reading of the 2022 budget of the State Social Protection Fund given by Chairman of the Labour and Social Protection Committee Musa Guliyev. Mr Guliyev told the House that the 2022 revenues and expenditures of the SSPF would be the same at AZN 5 bn 307 mn and would represent an increase by AZN 429 mn or 8.8 per cent from the current-year counterpart. All the comments and proposals regarding the budget’s revenues and expenditures, their parameters and forecasts had been voiced during the first reading; the text was not edited during the second reading at the committee meeting, according to Mr Guliyev.

Deputy Minister of Labour and Social Protection Anar Karimov told the House of the employment issues, creation of new jobs up country and other matters they had referred to previously; he also enlightened them about the work done to those ends. His account was underpinned by the mentions of the relevant cases.

The 6-article 2022 budget of the SSPF was voted through the second reading subsequently.

After that, the above-said Musa Guliyev tabled the second reading of the draft 2022 budget of the Unemployment Insurance Fund, the revenues and expenditures of which, he said, would, again, be equal and would make AZN 180 mn 375 thousand. The previous deliberations have been favourable and no edits have been added to the text, according to Mr Guliyev.

MP Ali Masimli shared his thoughts about the percentage of unemployment in the country during the deliberations, following which the draft 2022 budget of the UIF consisting of 5 articles was voted ‘pro’ in the second reading.

The scheduled sitting of the Milli Majlis ended there.

Deliberations on the second-reading Bills in the Budgetary Envelopes will be resumed tomorrow.

The Press and Public Relations Department
The Milli Majlis