BAKU, Azerbaijan, November 13. Nearly half of the preferential loans provided by the Azerbaijan Business Development Fund (ABDF) under the Ministry of Economy have been allocated to agricultural production, while the remaining funds support various industrial and other sectors, with 76 percent benefiting regional areas, said the country's Deputy Minister of Economy, Samad Bashirli, Trend reports.
In his address during a joint session of the Parliament’s Committees on Agrarian Policy, Family, Women and Children, and Science and Education, discussing the draft law on the 2026 state budget, Bashirli noted that through the Fund’s resources and via banks, nearly 4,600 investment projects with a total value of 564 million manat ($331.7 million) received 250 million manat ($147 million) in preferential loans during the first nine months of the year.
"These loans created opportunities for approximately 3,500 new jobs,” he added.
He further noted that during the first ten months of the year, the Fund extended preferential loans totaling 27.9 million manat ($16.4 million) to 498 investment projects, facilitating the creation of approximately 367 new employment opportunities.
The official also emphasized the expansion of inclusive entrepreneurship, observing a notable increase in women’s engagement across business initiatives and projects in various sectors.
“Over the first half of the year, the number of women entrepreneurs grew by 7 percent, reaching nearly 333,000,” he stated.
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