Drafting competition maps proposed in Azerbaijan

The involvement of state-funded enterprises in commercial markets using administrative resources and advantages can restrict private sector opportunities and lead to unfair competition, said Mammad Musayev, President of the National Confederation of Entrepreneurs (Employers) Organizations of Azerbaijan, at the 2nd National Competition Forum in Baku, Report informs.

According to Musayev, many state enterprises-along with public legal entities, innovation centers, and institutional substructures they establish-engage in business activities while competing in the same markets as private companies. Their access to government resources often gives them an unfair edge.

"When such entities secure market dominance using state resources and administrative privileges, it can significantly limit the market share and operational space of private businesses. That's why revisiting regulatory procedures for goods and services not central to the state's core functions, and which could be sourced from the domestic market, is one of the key challenges we face," he said.

Musayev also pointed out that the lack of a unified approach in organizing public services, along with inconsistent instructions from various institutions, sometimes causes delays and expands the boundaries of natural monopolies among state bodies.

"In this context, developing sector-based competition maps, encouraging innovation and cooperation models, and improving patent markets and technology transfer mechanisms could help enhance competition. At the same time, it"s possible to create a new market model in the regions based on competitive business clusters and access to new resources," he added.