By AZE.US
Azerbaijan is again discussing a possible increase in social payments to war veterans and people with war-related disabilities.
More than 183,000 veterans currently receive a monthly presidential stipend of 80 manats ($47).
Member of Parliament Rovshan Muradov told Modern.az that strengthening social protections for veterans remains a priority of the government’s people-centered policy, according to Globalinfo.az.
However, Muradov stressed that no official decision has been made to raise the monthly payment to 100 manats ($59).
“Social payments can be considered changed only after the relevant legal act has been adopted and the necessary funding has been secured,” he said.
Until an official decision is announced, it would be premature to state the size of any increase or when it might take effect, the lawmaker added.
Increase Would Cost 43.9 Million Manats Annually
Paying the current 80-manat stipend to more than 183,000 veterans creates an annual financial obligation of approximately 175.8 million manats ($103.4 million).
Raising the payment from 80 to 100 manats would add an estimated 43.9 million manats ($25.8 million) to annual state spending.
Muradov emphasized that the figure is a hypothetical calculation illustrating the cost of a possible decision, not a forecast or confirmation that the increase will be approved.
Payments for Disabled Veterans Could Rise by 20%
Azerbaijan also provides monthly presidential stipends of 400, 500 or 600 manats ($235, $294 or $353) to people whose disabilities are officially recognized as related to the defense of the country’s territorial integrity. The amount depends on the assessed degree of disability.
Around 14,000 people receive these payments, with the average monthly stipend estimated at approximately 472 manats ($278).
Increasing the payments by 20% would require an additional 15.8 million manats ($9.3 million) annually.
If the veteran stipend were raised to 100 manats and disability-related payments increased by 20% at the same time, the combined additional cost would total approximately 59.8 million manats ($35.2 million) per year.
Azerbaijan’s 2026 state budget includes 41.7 billion manats ($24.5 billion) in total spending, including 4.87 billion manats ($2.86 billion) for social protection and social security.
The proposed scenario would therefore equal about 0.14% of total state expenditures and 1.23% of the country’s social spending.
Muradov described the potential fiscal burden as manageable but said permanent benefits require sustainable funding, primarily from non-oil revenues.
He added that higher payments could support domestic consumption because recipients would likely spend much of the money on essential goods and services. Part of the expenditure could return to the state through taxes and broader economic activity.
Given the relatively limited scale of the proposed increase, Muradov said it was unlikely to generate significant inflationary pressure.
AZE.US