WB to implement self-employment project in country

By Azernews

By Leman Mammadova

Self-employment is the inclusion of unemployed people in the social structure of society by giving them the opportunity to work on special conditions - conditions of self-organization. At the same time, it is a mechanism of social interaction between society and a person.

Self-employment is primarily focused on the unemployed, people with disabilities and young people who are looking for an opportunity to apply their forces in business.

The strategic goal of self-employment program is to initiate the creation of individual enterprises by the unemployed themselves, by providing them with technical assistance, loans, grants and various benefits, as well as opportunities to capitalize social assistance funds or unemployment benefits.

Azerbaijan is actively involved in the self-employment projects in order to improve the social sphere in the country. In this regard, "Azerbaijan Employment Support" project will be implemented together with the World Bank (WB).

The total cost of the project is estimated at $100 million. It aims to improve the access of vulnerable people to self-employment and income generating opportunities in Azerbaijan.

Attraction of the unemployed people to self-employment will provide them with access to the formal labor market and fruitful activities, Sahil Babayev, Minister of Labor and Social Protection of the Population of Azerbaijan, said at a meeting with the preliminary assessment mission on the WB's project.

He underlined that self-employment program is expanding every year and stressed its importance in terms of participation in small business, especially for citizens from socially vulnerable groups.

Referring to the cooperation with WB, Babayev noted that the "Azerbaijan Employment Support" project creates conditions for the continuation of this cooperation in a new area.

He touched upon the importance of the project regarding expansion of self-employment program, as well as studying international best practices in this area, increasing the capacity of vocational training centers under the ministry and other areas.

In turn, Sandor Karacsony, head of the preliminary assessment mission, senior economist, reported on the preparatory work for the execution of the project.

The project will support the selection of areas of self-employment in economic areas based on the study of the labor market, identifying opportunities for the unemployed to participate in the self-employment project, preparation of training programs and their organization, and in some other areas.

During the meeting, primary value judgments on the project were expressed. The sides also discussed the planned phased and preparatory work, management practices in this area.

The self-employment program has been implemented in Azerbaijan since 2016. As part of these measures, the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population provides low-income families with various assets (goods, materials, livestock) so that they can start their small business.

Self-employment allows unemployed citizens to exercise their right to socially useful activity. At the same time, the society receives initiative workers, who abandoned the passive-dependent expectation and began active creative work, realized themselves as individuals.

For unemployed people, the self-employment program is an opportunity to become entrepreneurs, masters of their own businesses; and for society - to involve large masses of unemployed citizens in socially useful businesses.

Last year, 7,000 citizens were attracted to participate in the program. Some 42 million manats ($25 million) were provided for financing the self-employment program this year (35 million manats ($21 million) last year).

This year it is planned to attract up to 10,000 people to the program.