State-run JSC Created on Basis of Shahdag Winter-summer Tourism Complex

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev ordered the creation of JSC Shahdag Tourist Center at the winter-summer tourism complex in the Gusar region, which has been built at the expense of the state budget since 2009. The company's shares are reserved by the state represented by the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.

The JSC takes into service tourism and other infrastructural facilities on the territory of the tourist complex, manages these objects, and delivers them for use (rent) to individuals and legal entities on the basis of the contract. Experts believe such an approach to tourism business is unacceptable.

The economist Natig Jafarli believes that the state, in some cases, may take part in the financing of such projects. "However, in a later stage, the state should withdraw from their implementation, since the development, maintenance and operation of such investment projects have become burden for the state," the expert said.

The construction of the Shahdag winter and summer tourist complex has been allocated no less than 1 billion manats. The complex occupies 2 thousand hectares of land. Three hotels with 500 beds, 7 cable cars 7,000 meters long and 11 ski trails with a total length of 13,000 meters were built there.

According to the master plan, on completion of the construction, the complex will be able to take 10,000 people daily. It will employ 5 thousand people. -----08D