Azerbaijan's capital Baku hosted a national tax forum titled "Azerbaijani tax system: realities and prospects" on February 6-7.

Addressing the event, Taxes Minister Fazil Mammadov said the ministry will continue taking measures to strengthen the stimulating role of the tax system to increase the efficiency of the business environment.

He noted modern global challenges require tax bodies to carry out more active policy.

"President Ilham Aliyev declared 2014 the industry year. From this point of view, significant improvement is expected in the development of this field. Establishment of technology parks is considered the main driving force of the innovation economy, which will play a major role in the formation of new spheres of the national economy. The enhancement of the competitiveness will lead to significant changes in the economic system. The individuals and entities operating in the technology parks are exempt from taxes for seven years, and the operators and managers of these organizations for an unlimited term with aim to promote activities of technology parks," Mammadov said.

He went on to note that one of the major tasks standing behind the country in the coming years is to reduce the dependence of the country's economy on the oil sector, as well as to ensure the development of the non-oil sector.

The minister said currently the tax system of Azerbaijan is able to offer taxpayers the majority of services used in the world.

"We are trying to build a system in which the taxpayer will be able to fulfill all tax obligations and not have to come to the tax body," Mammadov said.

"Currently, the ministry offers over 50 electronic services to the population. This is the biggest collection of such services among all agencies," the minister noted.

(Azernews)

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