Baku, Fineko/abc.az. The Azerbaijani government managed to minimize demand for services of targeted social assistance (TSA) up to the level of 9.5% of families in the country.

Deputy labour minister Ilgar Rahimov has claimed that since 1 January 2010 need criterion on the basis of which TSA is fixed is to be increased up to 65 manats a month.

“We certainly could offer need criterion up to the level of minimum subsistence income (since 2010 it will reach 87 manats), but that will hardly promote to TSA growth. Our calculations showed that families with average income of over 65 manats per family member are observed additional factors (for example, availability of real estate) that do not allow them to apply for TSA,” Rahimov says.

After realization of two poverty reduction programs, the Azerbaijani government succeeded to minimize so-called socially-vulnerable layers of the population”.

“Our surveys and estimates show that no more than 180,000 families or 95% of their overall number are in group of risk (those layers of the population that can turn out at the level of the necessity to apply for TSA). And we should to work precisely with them to improve their social conditions. At the same time speech is not only of passive social aid for families (payment of social benefits), but also about following active social policy – provision of prospects and opportunities for their personal development for these families,” Rahimov said.

Today Azerbaijan is numbering 150,000 TSA recipient families and in 2010 the figure can decrease to 140,000 families.

05.11.2009 09:18