Press Review 23.03.18

Novruz celebrations through the eyes of tourists, export-import relations and high prices for markets are the main themes of today's newspapers (March 23, 2018)

The newspaper Azerbaijan in the article Novruz Festivals in Baku (http://www.azerbaijan-news.az/index.php?mod=3&id=142635) writes about the enthusiastic reaction of numerous tourists and townspeople to the Novruz festivities in Baku. The author cites the opinions of Iranian tourists who declare that Novruz is celebrated in Azerbaijan with great scope.

The newspaper Echo in the article Azerbaijan Can Only Provide Itself with 60% of Food Products raises the problem of Azerbaijan's dependence on imports still (http://www.echo.az/?p=68525).

"Today Azerbaijan can provide only 60% of its food products. According to official data, this indicator is higher. If we compare it with developed countries, this is not a very good result, but it cannot be called bad either. After all, Azerbaijan not only imports but also exports agricultural products," the economist Natig Jafarli told Echo.az.

According to him, Azerbaijan's biggest problem is that there is a small amount of food production, and good farmland is not sufficient. "Thus, when the export from the country increases, immediately in Azerbaijan there is a shortage of agricultural products, and prices immediately grow. Today, Azerbaijan imports products from Russia, Turkey, Georgia, Ukraine and a number of other states," he said.

In the opinion of exports, the problem is aggravated by the lack of a competitive environment in Azerbaijan. "There is not one country in the world that fully provides itself with food products, and Azerbaijan is no exception. If the country had a normal competitive environment and a good business climate, there would be no problems," Jafarli stressed.

"Then businessmen would not buy packaging for their products abroad, but produce it on the spot. This is much more profitable from a financial point of view. This is possible if the state begins to stimulate this process, for example, to provide tax and customs benefits," the economist said.

(http://ru.echo.az/?p=68525).

The newspaper Yeni Musavat draws attention to a sharp rise in price of vegetables and fruits.

http://musavat.com/news/bayramdan-sonra-bazarda-qitliq-yasanir-bezi-mehsullar-2-defe-bahalasdi-reportaj-fotolar_513946.html.

The publication indicates the deficit that has arisen after the holidays. Merchants explain the deficit with limited supply by wholesalers in connection with the Novruz holiday.