Elnur Aliyev revealed the scope of benefits for entrepreneurs and investment projects

Azerbaijan is actively implementing various state support mechanisms aimed at facilitating entrepreneurs' access to financial resources, reducing export costs, and stimulating new investment projects.

This was stated to BAKU.WS by First Deputy Minister of Economy Elnur Aliyev in his speech at the III National Competition Forum.

He reported that when exporting non-oil and gas products, the state covers up to 70 percent of transportation costs, and small and medium-sized exporters are partially compensated for customs clearance fees. In addition, 70 percent of the costs of transporting products manufactured in Nakhchivan to other regions of Azerbaijan are also covered by the state.

According to E. Aliyev, in order to facilitate business financing in the regions, a mechanism is in place to subsidize 50 percent of the interest rate on loans issued outside Baku and the Absheron Peninsula. State guarantees are planned to be provided on the principal amount of loans — up to 90 percent in the liberated territories and up to 50 percent in other regions.

The deputy minister added that starting from 2027, the state plans to pay half the cost of connecting industrial and agricultural facilities to the power grid. This step is designed to reduce the initial costs for entrepreneurs when establishing new enterprises.

He emphasized that for the effectiveness of support programs, it is critically important to ensure timely review of applications, transparency of implementation rules, and real access to these opportunities for entrepreneurs who meet the established requirements.

E. Aliyev also presented information on the coverage and duration of the investment incentive mechanism. It was reported that the duration of the mechanism, covering 17 strategic areas, has been extended until the end of 2029. As of September 1, a total of 633 investment incentive documents have been issued to 528 business entities. Within the framework of these projects, investments of 9.3 billion manats are planned, along with the creation of approximately 47 thousand new jobs.

The deputy minister noted that during the first eight months of 2026, the Azerbaijan Business Development Fund allocated approximately 223 million manats in preferential loans for about 4,300 projects. According to him, it is not sufficient to merely issue investment incentive documents — it is also necessary to monitor project implementation, the commencement of enterprise operations, and the creation of planned jobs.

E. Aliyev also drew attention to the importance of supporting entrepreneurs during the implementation of investment projects. He reported that at the II Azerbaijan International Investment Forum held in September, 23 investment documents were signed with a total value of 10.8 billion US dollars. Taking into account projects announced during "Baku Energy Week," the total investment volume reaches 16.7 billion dollars.

The deputy minister stressed that in order to transform this potential into real economic results, it is necessary to provide assistance in project implementation and to promptly resolve problems that arise during the execution process.