Minister of Finance Samir Sharifovspeaking at today’s meeting of the Milli Majlis of Azerbaijan, noted the advisability of introducing a number of changes to the presented draft budget related to increasing expenses in some necessary areas, including taking into account the proposals put forward by deputies during the discussions, Day.Az reports.
So, these are the following changes:
– increase in revenues from paid services of budgetary organizations and, accordingly, extra-budgetary expenses in the amount of 40.0 million manats;
– by mobilizing the potential for additional income, a number of legal entities under public law were recommended to cover their expenses not at the expense of the state budget, but rather at the expense of their own income. As a result, about 159 million manats of freed up funds will be directed to additional financial support for measures to further strengthen the defense and national security of the country. Thus, the total amount of expenditures on defense and national security in the state budget is brought to 8 billion 555 million manats;
– by optimizing costs for the purchase of goods and services in budgetary organizations, additionally free up 36 million manats and increase expenses in the following areas:
– increase the financial support of the Milli Majlis of the Azerbaijan Republic by an additional amount of 815.0 thousand manats;
– in accordance with the instructions of the head of state, to increase the initial projected funds for the allocation of financial assistance to political parties by 1.0 million manats, or 20 percent;
– increase spending on international activities in the state budget by 24 million manats, including expenses for the country’s participation in the World Expo-2025 in Osaka, Japan, in 2025;
– allocate 10.0 million manat to finance expenses related to promoting the country’s export and investment potential;
– there is a need to reflect in the state budget for 2025 changes related to the transfer of powers of state energy and water resources agencies of the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic to open joint-stock companies “Azerenerji”, “Azerishig” and the State Agency for Water Resources in accordance with the relevant decree of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan, as well as related with this expense. Accordingly, the amount of subsidies allocated to the Nakhchivan Autonomous Republic from centralized state budget expenditures is reduced by 34.8 million manats and the same amount is allocated to the financial support of the State Water Resources Agency.
If the changes proposed above are adopted, revenues and expenses of the state and consolidated budgets for 2025 will increase by 40.0 million manats, that is, state budget revenues will amount to 38 billion 356 million manats, expenses – 41 billion 407 million 600 thousand manats, revenues of the consolidated budget will amount to 43 billion 950 million 500 thousand manats, expenses – 47 billion 629 million 400 thousand manats.
The minister noted that there will be no changes in the deficit of the state and consolidated budgets, and they will remain the same as in the initially presented draft budget.