Minister: Azerbaijan to continue strengthening fiscal stability in coming years

Azerbaijan will continue implementing measures to enhance the fiscal sustainability of its state budget in the coming years, Minister of Finance Sahil Babayev said at a joint meeting of the parliamentary committees on the 2026 state budget, Report informs.

The minister emphasized that one of the key priorities of the budget is to strengthen defense capabilities and ensure national security:

"Ensuring the country's security and citizens' well-being are the main priorities of our budget policy. The budget includes all necessary measures to finance social programs and infrastructure development," Babayev said.

He added that the 2026 draft budget fully accounts for financial resources needed to implement key objectives, incorporating mechanisms aimed at economic development, sustainable investment attraction, and private sector support. Reducing dependence on oil revenues and protecting foreign exchange reserves remain among its core principles.

According to the minister, the share of the non-oil sector in budget revenues continues to grow, while transfers from the State Oil Fund (SOFAZ) will decrease by about $1 billion in 2026 compared to the previous year.

"This is a clear indicator of increasing fiscal resilience. We are confident that this trend will continue in the coming years," Babayev added.