ECONOMY
‘Azerbaijan`s ICT sector growth reduces dependence on natural resources’
Baku, April 17 (AZERTAC). The growth of Azerbaijan`s ICT sector reduces the economy`s dependence on natural resources, MP Asef Hajiyev said in an interview with the ruling New Azerbaijan party`s website.
Although the oil and gas industry brings significant revenues to the economy today, he said, the recent development of other sectors somewhat reduces the oil and gas sector`s impact on the economy. In the future, the main driving force will be the human factor.
"The World Bank identified three main criteria that play an important role in development. It is the human factor, industrial development and the availability of natural resources. Today, it is obvious that the human factor surpasses the other indicators and comes to the fore in developed countries," Hajiyev said.
Assessing ICT sector trends, he cited Internet and computer market growth as examples.
"Today, the most advanced international technologies are widely used in Azerbaijan. If we pay attention to ICT sector development in recent years, then it gives us grounds to say, for example, that every fourth person has a personal computer and every second is an Internet user," he said.
Hajiyev said significant steps have been made to make the Internet more accessible for consumers. Tariffs in Azerbaijan have decreased by about 10 times in five years, he said.