Caspian Energy Club organizes online B2G FORUM with participation of Samira Musayeva
Discussed at the traditional online B2G FORUM organized by the Caspian Energy Club together with Samira Musayeva, Deputy Chief of the State Tax Service under the Azerbaijan Republic Ministry of Economy, were issues and challenges arising during the coronavirus pandemic, as well as suggestions from top managers and representatives of local and foreign companies how to handle them.
This was said by Chairman and CEO of the Caspian Energy Club Telman Aliyev. The event began with a minute of silence in memory of the martyrs who fell in the battles for the territorial integrity of Azerbaijan.
Welcoming the participants of the Online B2G Forum, Chairman and CEO of the Caspian Energy Club Telman Aliyev noted that "ONLY A STRONG ECONOMY CAN GRANT A STRONG ARMY. We continue organizing events online in order to study business problems. This lets us maintain the business-government dialogue at the same level, and it is in this difficult period of the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic that business representatives can feel the support of the state.
Addressing the event, Deputy Chief of the State Tax Service Samira Musayeva spoke about the occupation of Nagorno-Karabakh and adjacent regions of Azerbaijan, about the military provocations committed by the occupying country against Azerbaijan, which are the result of the aggressive policy of Armenia, and also spoke about the counter-attack operations performed by our country to protect its territorial integrity.
It was noted that the enemy targets civilian objects located in the front-line regions, and as a result, numerous business objects are exposed to enemy strikes.
She said that the state is taking serious steps to reduce the impact of material damage caused to business entities, ensure the continuity of business activities, and improve their social, economic and financial situation. To this end, the state tax service has fully canceled decisions that envisaged imposing financial sanctions on taxpayers operating in the front-line regions.
S. Musayeva noted that the main purpose of the event is to discuss the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on the economy and business structures, discuss the main economic priorities, as well as issues and challenges facing businessmen in the current conditions. She spoke about the impact of restrictive measures imposed on the economy and business within the framework of the fight against the coronavirus pandemic, drew attention to the restriction of economic activity by the state in order to control the epidemiological situation. It was noted that the state is currently taking appropriate measures to restore economic activity and gradually return the activities of business entities to normal stream. The Deputy Head of STS S.Musayeva informed about the measures taken to eliminate the consequences of the pandemic, as well as about the main economic priorities of the state in the new conditions. Among these measures, she noted the expansion of the non-oil sector, export-oriented production activities, attraction of foreign investment, creation of a transparent and competitive business environment and its sustainable development, increase of the role of micro and small entrepreneurs in the value chain. An effective tax environment is one of the important regulatory elements ensuring economic development and implementation of these priorities. It was noted that over the past period, proceeding from the general socio-economic policy of the state, a number of reforms were launched in the tax system and important steps were taken. The main goal of the reforms is the creation of favorable tax conditions for normal functioning of small and medium enterprises driving the economic development, and expansion of the non-oil sector development and reduction of the “shadow economy”. Creating effective conditions for taxpayers means not only reducing the tax burden or providing incentives, but also conducting a serious fight against entrepreneurs who occupy a dominant position, conducting illegal actions, concluding transactions outside the real economic essence, which leads to unfair competition.
As a result of the reforms carried out in the tax sphere, favorable conditions have been created for entrepreneurs and the investment climate, tax administration has been improved in the process of assigning, conducting and processing the results of tax audits, and the number of audits has been reduced. Moreover, in order to minimize direct contact between taxpayers and tax authorities, important work has been done to expand the scope of electronic audit and improve the system of remote electronic control, which has generally improved the quality of tax audits.
S. Musayeva noted that the necessary steps were taken to conduct open dialogues with taxpayers, aimed at increasing mutual trust and transparency between taxpayers and tax authorities, organizing regular meetings with business entities, listening to and ensuring prompt solutions to problems facing entrepreneurs, as well as improving legislation and eliminating existing gaps in it.
It was noted that measures are being taken to encourage entrepreneurs who comply with the requirements of the law and pay taxes established by law, as well as reduce their tax burden and build partner-based relations. More stringent liability measures are taken in relation to taxpayers who violate the requirements of the law.
This approach is an essential element for mutual trust and transparency.
The STS representatives answered questions of the Online B2G Forum participants and listened to their suggestions.
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Caspian Energy Club, Telman Aliyev expressed gratitude to the Deputy Chief of the State Tax Service under the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan for an open and sincere dialogue.
Telman Aliyev suggested to create a permanent bilateral working group together with the State Tax Service under the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan and noted that the bilateral working group makes it possible to conduct regular discussions over challenging issues, proposals and problems with the state service, and provide solutions in a timely manner.
According to Telman Aliyev, the CASPIAN ENERGY CLUB, which brings together over 5,000 companies and organizations from 50 countries, was established in June 2002. As an active participant of the business-to-government dialogue, the major objective of the CASPIAN ENERGY CLUB is to improve the investment and business climate in Azerbaijan and in other countries where the CASPIAN ENERGY CLUB operates, as well as to stimulate and actively participate in the B2G, B2B and B2C dialogues.
CASPIAN ENERGY CLUB is the international business-networking platform and regularly organizes various events. The head office of the CASPIAN ENERGY CLUB is in Baku. The CASPIAN ENERGY CLUB has official representative offices in Georgia and Kazakhstan, and authorized representatives in different countries around the world.
At the end of the event, Chairman of the Caspian Energy Club Telman Aliyev called on to the Club members and entrepreneurs to lend support by transferring means to the Armed Forces Assistance Fund, as well as to lend as much financial support as possible to the families of martyrs, fighting soldiers and officers.
Addressing the companies, T. Aliyev once again stressed that «Top managers, every single employee and representative of all foreign partners and partner companies should receive objective and reliable information about the struggle waged by Azerbaijan for its territorial integrity, about Karabakh conflict, occupied and liberated lands. We must get the Azerbaijani truth across to the world”.
