This EU4Business country report offers an in-depth assessment of the current macroeconomic and business environment in Azerbaijan including that in which SMEs operate. Particular emphasis is therefore on development of SMEs in the country and how has EU4Business project portfolio supports that objective. It also analyses the other donor and public sector programmes aimed at SMEs with an assessment of the gap and future needs.
EU4Business Secretariat prepared this third Country Report to analyse the developments and achievements of the EU4Business initiative in each of the Eastern Partnership countries (EaP). The 2018 Country Reports add two new elements: the results of an SME survey and the outcome of round tables of EU4Business stakeholders carried out in each EaP country. Research across the sections of the Report looks at the four key pillars of EU4Business and assesses progress and makes recommendations that are relevant for Azerbaijan.
Attempt has been made to analyse a multitude of analytical work on SME climate in Azerbaijan and synthesise it here, as a large EU4Business effort focuses on levelling the playing field for SMEs, diversifying away from the oil sector. The materials presented here will support the reform discourse in Azerbaijan, contributing to further enhancement of the SME climate and regulatory framework.
