He said that the agency is taking systematic measures to create the first small and medium-sized business house.

"At the initial stage, it is planned to create the first small and medium-sized business house in Baku as soon as possible, and in the next stage after a certain analysis the network will be expanded," he noted. "The work has also started to create the "electronic small and medium-sized business house" portal, which will provide services on a single platform online."

Mammadov also noted that the agency as the authorized body is charged with the task of coordinating, evaluating and regulating the activity of state bodies and organizations that support entrepreneurs in small and medium-sized business houses, providing them with a wide range of services.

"On the one hand, close cooperation will be analyzed with government agencies regulating the activities of an entrepreneur," Mammadov said. "It is planned to create a permanent Coordination Group under the Agency, consisting of representatives of the relevant government agencies, in order to ensure effective coordination and efficiency of cooperation among state institutions and the agency in rendering services to business entities in small and medium-sized business houses. These coordination functions will have positive influence on further improvement of the development policy of small and medium-sized business houses."

The Agency for Small and Medium Business Development of Azerbaijan was established on the basis of the decree on improvement of management in the field of small and medium-sized businesses signed by President Ilham Aliyev in December 2017.

According to the decree, small and medium-sized business houses will operate at ASAN Service centers. In those regions of the country where such centers are absent, the houses will operate under the regional divisions of the Ministry of Economy. Small and medium-sized businesses will be controlled by the Agency for Small and Medium Business Development of Azerbaijan.

Small and medium-sized business houses will provide a number of services, including training, consulting, information, financial and other services.

Masaim Abdullayev,

“Khalq qazeti”