Media Review October 3, 2019

The use of innovations in the agricultural sector, the reasons for the confrontation over the lands owned by SOCAR, and the reduction in the volume of population deposits in banks are the topics of today's media.

The newspaper Azerbaijan reports that over the 6 months of this year, growth in the agricultural sector was above 13%, in crop production - 25%, which was a record. To ensure the innovative development of the agricultural sector, it was decided to create 45 agricultural parks in 30 districts on a total area of ​​192 thousand ha.

Until the beginning of 2019, 207 million manat was allocated to create infrastructure in this area. Currently 22 agricultural parks are actually operating, another 11 will come into effect by the end of the year. As a result of these projects, an additional 2.4 billion manat will be invested in the country's economy.

The website Modern.az writes about the conflict over the seizure of land belonging to SOCAR between the guards of this department and the disabled people of Karabakh.

SOCAR security guards stopped the construction on land on the balance of SOCAR. Several people were injured in the skirmish.

Similar conflicts occur regularly. Sometimes people find out about the land on which they built their houses being on the SOCAR balance sheet only when they try to document the houses.

Deputy Vahid Ahmedov, commenting on what is happening, notes that the permission for the construction was given by both the oil company itself and the local executive authority. First they give permission, then they themselves violate it, the deputy notes.

In turn, MP Fazil Mustafa notes that lands unnecessary by SOCAR should be transferred to the balance of the executive branch of Baku. About 60 thousand illegal houses were built on such lands.

The Yeni Musavat newspaper writes that deposits in the population of Azerbaijan are declining due to a loss of confidence. According to the Central Bank, as of September 1, the deposit in banks amounted to 8 billion 561 million manat.

Compared to the previous month, it is lower by 19 million manat. Expert Vugar Bayramov claims that this difference is 154 million manat, which is associated with a low interest of dividends received by depositors. Over the past year, the level of dividends decreased by 35%.