Azerbaijan starts electronic registration of legal bodies

The Azerbaijani Tax Ministry has introduced an electronic registration system for legal bodies, AzerTAG reports.

Deputy Tax Minister Sahib Alekberov said that the “single-window” system had been adopted on January 1, 2008, for registration of business. Procedures were reduced from 15 to 6.

Azerbaijani President Ilham Aliyev signed a decree on May 23, 2011, to improve business environment. Executives minimized contacts between functionaries and citizens to combat red tape. Natig Shirinov, head of the Main Directorate of Economic Analysis and State Registration of Business Subjects of the Tax Ministry, presented the electronic system.

10,075 people have undergone the online procedure since June 2011. About two thirds of businessmen are beyond the capital. An article was implemented in the Code of Administrative Violations. Individuals giving false information for state registry are now punished with 700 manats, legal bodies with 4000 manats.

The system has fast and normal registration procedures. 3 instead of 6 procedures are needed for one founder to register. The number of documents drops from 7 to 2. Businessmen will take few minutes to register, rather than 3 days like before. The number of procedures drops by 3, registration time was reduced by 5 days. If there are more than one founder the procedure will take 3 days, rather than 20 minutes. Names of legal bodies may be checked at www.taxes.gov.az.

Mamed Musayev, President of the National Confederation of Business Organizations, said that the new system is an important step for businessmen. Nigyar Alimov, head of the Directorate for State Registry of Commercial Legal Bodies of the Baku Tax Department, Shakhid Shukyurov, coordinator for legislature and policy of the US-Azerbaijani Trade Chamber, Irina Niderberger, head of the International Financial Corporation and others noted the progressive step. Inam Kerimov, chief consultant of the section for work with legislative structures of the Azerbaijani Presidential Administration and secretary of the Commission for Corruption, and Shakhin Sadygov, head of the economic section of the Cabinet, made speeches.