Social reforms in the field of labor, employment and social protection in Azerbaijan this year were consistent and large -scale. There are new important tasks ahead. This was stated at a meeting of the board of the Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Population.
Minister Sakhil Babaev noted important steps taken in recent years in the direction of strengthening the social security system, increasing social benefits, expanding active employment programs.
It was reported that over the past four years, an additional 6 billion manat annually allocated for three packages of social reforms covering more than 4 million citizens. The minimum wage increased 2.3 times, the average monthly wages – by 53 percent, the number of labor contracts – by 30 percent. The wage fund has grown 2.2 times, the minimum pension – 2.2 times, the average monthly pension – by 80 percent, social benefits and pension payments – by 3.5 times. 10 new types of social payments have been established.
At the same time, in 2022 a new stage of social reforms was passed. This year, social payments covering 3.4 million people were additionally increased. 2.1 billion manat was allocated for these purposes per year.
This year, the scope of the social security system has been expanded this year. By making up to 50 additions and amendments to the Law “On Labor Pensions”, new humanistic approaches in the pension system were introduced, which serve to increase the availability of this system and increase the number of categories entitled to early retirement. From the beginning of the next year, an increase in pensions will be transferred to a single indexation method, which will allow to increase all pensions annually.
The work has been noted to expand the digitalization and application of digital solutions in the social sphere.
The meeting notes the preparation of new professional standards. The register includes another 148 standards, their total number exceeds a thousand.