Azernews.Az

By Ayya Lmahamad

Azerbaijan's social policy implementation activities have been extremely effective in recent years. There has been significant progress in the areas of social security, employment, medical and social rehabilitation. The government has paid more attention to the problems of vulnerable social groups.

The president's social policy and the effective work of the social protection structures have contributed to the resolution of a large number of socially significant issues. It's worth recalling that there was a pandemic a few years ago, and there are still quarantine restrictions in place. Furthermore, the global economy is in a state of disarray. All of these cannot be classified as positive external factors.

Despite this, and thanks to effective measures put in place, the country has maintained social, political, and socioeconomic stability.

Social payments

Under the president's decree, three packages of social reforms covering half of the country's population after 2018 were implemented, with an annual financial value of AZN 6.5 billion ($3.8 billion).

Over the past four years, the national average wage has grown by about 40 percent, the median wage has increased by 74 percent, and the minimum wage has multiplied.

The minimum pension increased 2.2 times, while the median monthly pension increased by 65 percent. Allowances and pensions for low-income groups increased by 2.5 to 3 times on average, and by more than 3 times in some cases.

Furthermore, one of the main social directions pursued by Azerbaijan is the expansion of state support for martyrs' families and disabled war veterans. In this regard, 103,000 social payments were assigned to 93,000 people of this category as social benefits. In early 2021, the amount of pensions paid increased by 60 percent. Simultaneously, disability benefits have been increased by 60 percent.

Living conditions improvement

The number of houses and apartments built by Azerbaijan for the families of martyrs and those injured in the war is increasing. Azerbaijan set it for itself as a priority task during Armenia's occupation, and it is now being addressed following the second Karabakh war. The president established the goal of resolving the living conditions of the families of the first and second Karabakh war martyrs and those injured in the war.

In this regard, 6,300 apartments have been provided to this category of citizens over the past three years.

Last year, approximately 3,000 apartments were provided to the families of martyrs and disabled war veterans. 200 apartments were delivered in the first quarter of this year, with another 1,500 expected by the end of the year.

The head of state signed an order on January 25, 2021, to provide 11,000 apartments and private houses to the families of martyrs and disabled Karabakh war veterans. The process is currently underway and is expected to be completed in 2025.

In addition, over the last four years, approximately 1,450 disabled war veterans have received automobiles. As a result, the number of disabled war veterans who have received cars has risen to 7,400.

Employment support measures

One more area of the focus of Azerbaijan’s social policy is employment support measures.

The number of people involved in the self-employment program increased by 13.8 times to 16,232 last year.

Over the past four years and in the first quarter of this year, more than 44,000 people were involved in the program and created small families and businesses.

The paid public works program, which increases employment opportunities for the unemployed and job seekers, has also expanded significantly. Some 56,000 people have been employed through the program.

Within this framework, employment measures were also taken with regard to 11,000 martyrs’ family members and disabled war veterans. Half of them were involved in self-employment programs and were given the opportunity to start a small family farm.

Another direction was the active employment program, where more than 2,000 martyrs’ family members and disabled war veterans were hired within the framework of the employment marathon.

Rehabilitation

Azerbaijan's care for those who have sacrificed their health in the name of liberating native lands extends beyond social payments. Azerbaijan is successfully carrying out the process of providing rehabilitation aids to disabled and injured war veterans.

The Labour and Social Security Ministry has provided 23,000 rehabilitation services to 8,000 soldiers wounded in the war. Some 190 war veterans who have lost limbs have received 200 fourth-generation electronic prostheses.

In addition, 16,000 rehabilitation aids were distributed to approximately 3,000 soldiers who were wounded during the war.

The rehabilitation program for the disabled of the April 2016 battles initiated by First Vice President, Heydar Aliyev Foundation President Mehriban Aliyeva deserves special praise.

Participants in the battles who were wounded in the battles were provided with rehabilitation devices manufactured by world-renowned companies in Germany, Iceland, and the United Kingdom as part of this project.

Later, on the order of President Ilham Aliyev, a workshop for the manufacture of high-tech prostheses was established in the Labour and Social Security Ministry's orthopedic and rehabilitation center, with the assistance of the most advanced German company in this field, OTTO BOKK.

The workshop produces prostheses based on Genium standards, which allow for the most precise and comprehensive regulation of limb movement via an "electronic joint".

President Ilham Aliyev has always prioritized care for the families of martyrs and war veterans. It's no coincidence that his first executive order was "On additional measures to strengthen social protection for family members of servicemen who died for the territorial integrity of the Republic of Azerbaijan and were declared missing during military operations".

Once again, it is clear that the tasks assigned by the head of state to the Cabinet of Ministers, ministries, and departments are feasible, and that all prerequisites exist to ensure the country's social security in the future.

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Ayya Lmahamad is AzerNews’ staff journalist, follow her on Twitter: @AyyaLmahamad

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