Tax officers and other officials "strangle" non-governmental organizations

Only 11% of non-governmental organizations that participated in the survey of the national branch of Transparency International said the tax system of Azerbaijan is relevant to the existing legislative framework. Slightly more (17%) of respondents were satisfied with the legal framework and its implementation. In total, according to the press release, 100 NGOs were interviewed.

Three-quarters (75%) of the non-governmental sector leaders called as a reason the low level of participation of civil society in the decision of the fundamental provisions of the public. Two-thirds consider themselves in one way or another involved in a dialogue with the government and state institutions, believing that the ministers even in the absence of trust in the "informals" are interested in communicating with them.

One of the main problems is Fundraising - attraction of the funds and other resources necessary for the implementation of a specific project or its activities as a whole). Need legal framework under which political officials could not interfere in the relationship between NGOs and financial donors - believed respondents. Half of them admitted that operates with financial support from government agencies.

According to USAID, the non-governmental sector in Azerbaijan is poorly developed (on a scale of 1 to 7, scored 4.7 points). Analysts at the U.S. Agency for Democracy link the situation with an unattractive political and legal environment. To rectify the position needs a liberal registration of local NGOs, easing the tax burden for them.

The full text is available through the link http://transparency.az/alac/files/bookaz.pdf. - 17D-