Baku, Azerbaijan, April 18
By Huseyn Valiyev - Trend:
Public communications operators in Azerbaijan ("Aztelekom" and "Baku Telephone Communications") should provide maximum conditions for business development of private Internet service provider, the Azerbaijani Minister of Communications and High Technologies Ali Abbasov said.
This issue was raised at the board meeting of the ministry, and, in the case of necessity the state operators pressured to resolve the existing problems with the private sector, Abbasov said at a board meeting dedicated to the results of the first quarter.
"Stationary telephone network is now almost in the possession of public communication enterprises which seek to prevent presence of outside providers in their telecommunications nodes. Today this situation, though somehow changes in favor of the private sector, but, unfortunately, the problem has not been solved until the end which in turn hinders the development of the private sector," the minister said.
This problem is not limited only with the telecommunications industry, according to Abbasov.It is also necessary to provide the conditions for private sector development in the sphere of production. The private sector needs to create favorable environment for the development and facilitation of access to state funding.
To a certain extent, the issue will be resolved by the State Fund for Development of Information Technologies and "High-Tech Park", the minister said.
"But for the development of high-tech industry the favorable environment should be created all over the country," Abbasov said.
The main task which now confronts the ministry is the preparation of the state program on the development of the information society, to which it assigned four months, the minister said. The state program will affect the development of high-tech industry as well.
"There will be many areas that will receive financial support of the state. Example, the production and the use of LED light sources throughout the country. The negotiations are already being held with several companies. Perhaps the state will implement direct financing," he said.
The minister thinks that if the state directs financial resources for the development of certain sectors, in this case it is important that the private sector to be developed, not only locally but also abroad.
Translated by S.I.
Edited by C.N.
