Deputy Minister: ICT sector priority for economic development

The Strategic Road Map for Development of Information and Communication Technologies will contribute to improvement of profitability of ICT companies.

Elmir Velizadeh, Azerbaijan’s Deputy Minister of Communications and High Technologies made the remarks at a Caspian European Club meeting held on December 14.

A recent decree endorsing “Strategic road maps for the national economy and main economic sectors” signed by President Ilham Aliyev on December 6 targets to define the development goals and priorities and ensure their proper and timely implementation.

The strategic road maps cover almost all sectors of the economy, including, development of the oil and gas industry, the manufacture and processing of agricultural products, the manufacture of small and medium entrepreneurship-level consumer goods, development of heavy industry and machinery, tourism, logistics and trade, vocational education and training, financial services, communication and information technologies and utilities.

"The "Road Map" provides for widespread use of ICT in business structures, so that they can further expand their activities and increase profitability," Velizadeh said. "It also reflects the information security and other issues. And the main aspect of the document is increase of profitability and business productivity."

The ICT sector is a priority for development of the economy, and a number of strategic documents were signed in this regard, according to Velizadeh.

"First of all I would like to note the adoption of the 2014 National Strategy for Information Society Development for 2014-2020. This is a strategic document that defines not only the development of the industry, but in general the whole society and economy. On this basis, in 2016 a state program was approved, defining the role of not only government agencies, but also business and society. The national strategy is aimed primarily at building the country's strong ICT industry, establishment of production and provision of IT-services, infrastructure upgrade, and egovernment development," he said.

Along with this, the document also provides for the measures of use of ICT as a means of development of society, according to the deputy minister.

In turn, Tahir Mammadov, Head of Internal Control and Audit of the Communications and High Technologies Ministry spoke of the country's first telecommunication satellite Azerspace launched in 2013.

He said that some 75 percent of Azerspace resources have been commercialized. Thus, three quarters of the resources of the satellite brings the country income and now customers from 18 countries enjoy it.

He also informed about the recent work carried out in the direction of simplification of the system of electronic signatures, by applying new USB-keys (e-Token), which replaced the card readers.

"Of course, this is not the latest achievement in this field. The country is expected to issue new ID cards with an integrated electronic signature. Work is underway in this direction. Realization of this goal will further increase the interest of citizens to use e-signatures," he said.

Mammadov said that the development of e-business and e-commerce is one of the most pressing issues nowadays and the processes and trends occurring in the world show that Azerbaijan is also joined this process.

"Internet users today want to shop online. And the Ministry, along with the work carried out in the direction of improving the internet infrastructure is also taking steps in the direction of e-commerce development," he said.

Mammadov further said that in the next few months, residents and visitors will be able to enjoy free access to the Internet via Wi-Fi. He said that the work in this direction is underway within the framework of the "Public Wi-Fi" project, which is another step towards improving access to the Internet.

"The points of public access to Wi-Fi will be deployed in Icherisheher (the Old City) and the National Seaside Park (Boulevard). The main goal of the project is to provide residents and visitors with access to the Internet in places of mass gathering of people," Mammadov said.

"Baku Telephone Communications" Production Association under the Communications and High Technologies Ministry has started the project this October.