Press Review 07/10/2016

The role of Azerbaijan in the region, increase in customs duties, bloated bureaucracy, and threat to Internet freedom are topics of today's press.

The Azerbaijan newspaper writes about the country's stabilizing role in the Caspian and Caucasus region. Azerbaijan is a reliable partner of the international community in the implementation of major projects and in the conduct of international important events. The author notes the successes achieved by Azerbaijan during 25 years of independence. In assessing the economic success, the author refers to the World Bank and the IMF.

The website Azadliq.info writes about the coming rise in price of food products: meat, butter and milk. The expert Gubad Ibadoglu analyzes the deterioration of the economic situation in the country as a result of the increase in customs duties on food products. He provides detailed calculations of prices and gives a comparative analysis with previous years.

Echo wonders why the country needs officials, whereas ASAN Khidmet well replaces them. It would be possible to get rid of spending funds for the maintenance of a large bureaucracy, since the activities of officials and ASAN Khidmet are the same. Currently, more than 2 million people in Azerbaijan use the services of ASAN Khidmet.

Novoye Vremya has published an article entitled “Freedom in the Internet under Threat?” Taking control of the TV, the Azerbaijani MPs attack the Internet. The Internet is still the most important and most serious obstacle to our country's dive into the abyss of a new insulation. The global network has the greatest potential for resistance to such a course. For the authorities, this way is more dangerous than for the population. Excessive propaganda can lead to the opposite effect. It was impossible to fully close the alternative information in earlier times, but now it is even more impossible.

Government agencies once every six months try to create the tools and legal framework for the regulation of online activity.