AZE.US
Azerbaijani politician and public figure Ilgar Mammadov has proposed abolishing the Ministry of Economy and redirecting its funding toward a business ombudsman and independent economic research centers.
Mammadov, co-founder of the REAL Party, outlined the proposal in a Facebook post.
He said he has often described the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Youth and Sports and several other state bodies as unnecessary. According to Mammadov, people then ask what should replace them.
This time, he said, he wanted to speak more specifically about the Economy Ministry.
Mammadov said that if the ministry were abolished, the money currently spent on maintaining it should mainly go in two directions.
The first, he said, should be the creation of a business ombudsman.
Mammadov acknowledged that the existing ombudsman institution has not brought major improvements in human rights. But he argued that the current ombudsman mostly deals with vulnerable groups that have little power.
A business ombudsman, he said, would represent economically active individuals and companies, including those with some financial strength and public influence.
Mammadov said such an institution could become a serious figure if it were authorized to deal with abuses by law enforcement agencies and other state bodies.
He also proposed that the business ombudsman report directly to parliament and the public every month, not once a year.
The second area, he said, should be the creation of independent economic think tanks.
Mammadov said these centers should study the country’s economy in depth, compete seriously with one another and offer independent analysis.
“If, instead of a huge Economy Ministry, we create these two small institutions working constantly to help business breathe freely, we would lay one of the foundations of an economic miracle in the country,” Mammadov wrote.
He added that once courts begin functioning properly, the country may no longer need an ombudsman, or the scope of such an office could narrow. But for now, he said, there is a real need for it.
Mammadov also said REAL’s proposals are not intended to improve the work of the current government.
“As the REAL Party, what we are saying is that the ruling party should lose the elections and that we should manage state policy instead of them, finally giving it the right direction,” he wrote.
He said the party presents such proposals so that citizens can clearly see which approaches they are choosing between.
AZE.US