Social Reforms are aimed at ensuring the well-being and satisfaction of citizens

Caspian Energy (CE): Mr. Minister, in connection with the first anniversary of the Patriotic War, which has ended with the historic Victory of Azerbaijan, we would like to ask our first question on the topic: what is being done to address social issues in the post-war period?

Sahil Babayev, Minister of Labor and Social Protection of Population of the Republic of Azerbaijan:  The main feature of the Azerbaijani social state model is that it relies more on moral norms and humanistic approaches, and therefore, always stands together with the citizens. For only the last three years, more than 900 regulatory legal acts have been adopted to improve social welfare in the country, inclu­ding decrees, orders, laws, etc.

Of course, the solution of social issues in the post-war period is one of the key priorities for our Government. In response to the next military aggression of Armenia against our country on September 27, 2020, the Azerbaijani Army under the leadership of President, Victorious Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces Ilham Aliyev performed successful military actions and just for 44 days, liberated its internationally recognized territories from Armenian occupation which lasted for about 30 years.

During the Patriotic War, we have witnessed Azerbaijan’s high readiness for breakthrough actions in the front lines and sustainable social protection in rear areas. In this war, Azerbaijan has proven the availability of a powerful army, and as a social state, has demonstrated its strong social policy in the rear and has conti­nued and even expanded all its social programs aimed at the well-being of citizens. All social payments were made ahead of schedule, and the state increased its social support to the citizens by allocating the required funds even in wartime.

Azerbaijan, who won the war, entered the post-war period with a package of social support covering the Patriotic War martyr families and veterans, victims of the Armenian terror, and their relatives with wide measures aimed at solving the social issues of the period. As part of these measures, social payments (President’s monthly pension or allowance) were assigned to more than 15,000 Patriotic War martyr families and invalids. During the post-war period, these allowances have been increased significantly again. By the decrees signed by President Ilham Aliyev on December 30, 2020, the President’s monthly pension for the martyr families and war invalids has been increased by an average of 50 percent, and in some cases, by about 100 percent. Also, the National Heroes’ pension has been increased from AZN 1,500 to 1,800. The President’s monthly pension (AZN 2,000) has been established for those awarded the title of the Patriotic War Hero.

During the post-war period, the program for providing martyr families and war invalids with apartments and individual houses has expan­ded. By the Presidential Decree dated January 25, 2021, those registered in 2014-2019, as well as the families of those killed in military operations of the Patriotic War 2020 and invalids of this war will be gradually provided with 11,000 apartments or individual houses over 5 years.

Work is underway on the allocation of about 3,000 apartments and individual houses (5 times more than in 2018) for them in 2021, and 1,700 apartments have already been handed over to this category of people this year. In total, about 11,000 martyr families and war invalids have been provided with apartments and individual houses so far. By the Order of President Ilham Aliyev dated August 25, 2021, the Patriotic War Heroes and their families were also provided with housing. 

As a continuation of the car provision program, another 144 cars were presented to war invalids in the first 9 months of 2021, with a total of 7,350 cars (Poster - 1).

During the post-war period, about 39,000 services were provided to 31,000 people, including the Patriotic War martyr family members, veterans, victims of Armenian terror, and their relatives.

In particular, social and psychological support was provided to 10,000 members of 3,000 families, 1,300 veterans were provided with rehabilitation services in the Ministry’s rehabilitation facilities, 143 servicemen were provided with the latest generation high-tech prostheses, 944 invalids of the 1st and 2nd Karabakh wars were provided with rehabilitation means, of them, 846 veterans – with motorized wheelchairs. In the post-war period, 5,312 people were covered with self-employment programs, and more than 2,000 people were provided with jobs under the paid social work and other programs. On June 10 this year, the Employment Marathon started, aimed at supporting the employment of martyr family members and war-wounded veterans, and the number of employers joining this Marathon and martyr family members and veterans employed thereunder is constantly growing.

To date, 26 types of services by 7 agencies were provided at a new innovative level, in an operative and transparent manner on a single-window principle to more than 1,200 applicants by the Unified Coordination Centers, established by the Presidential Decree dated June 25, 2021, as another support to the martyr families and war-wounded veterans and launched in the DOST Centers in Baku on August 23. (Poster-2) All these measures are being continued and expanded.