Baku, Fineko/abc.az. Azerbaijan has laid a ban for access to information on commercial enterprises’ founders and their equity stake.

According to the amendments to the law " On Commercial secret " approved by the government today, the information on founders and their equity stake in the companies’ capital is regarded as commercial ( tax) secret. They were adopted after heated discussions.

During the discussions MP Gudrat Hasanguliyev reported that Azerbaijan is a democratic country and adoption of such amendments is unacceptable.

" access to such information should not be banned. It should not be a secret. The questions is also : what will the journalists write now , where will they get information from ? I think that these amendments should really serve increase of transparency, that is why I am against them and will not vote for them ",- G. Hasanguliyev said.

In turn MP Asim Mollazadeh also stood against adoption of amendments and said that these amendments would limit the fight with money laundering.

" Why should this information be held back, is this illegal ? The society should have wide opportunity to get such information. The amendments will also prevent from state procurement processes and tenders ",- A. Mollazadeh said.

MP Mubariz Gurbanli said that all the world has commercial secret notion and there is nothing to be afraid.

" Moreover, it should be taken into account that these amendments will also prevent from possible blackmailing of commercial individuals by the media ",- M. Gurbanli said.

Vice Speaker Valeh Alesgerov stressed that the entire world has commercial secret notion and such information is provided only in certain exceptive cases if the receiving side undertakes liabilities on preservation of commercial secret. The ones disclosing the secret will be brought to criminal liability including tax and other bodies.

" I think the amendments have nothing unusual in them, on the contrary they liquidate uncertainty ",- V. Alesgerov said.

Deputy Fazil Mustafa offered to liquidate the provision assuming free access to information in Azerbaijan , as the amendments contradict it.

"We are not such a large country not to take into account the opinion of such countries as the USA or European countries which vote for free information access. We should take into account that we are not such a large country not to accept critics of the USA or other countries. What is wrong in the fact that we will name the founder or his capital ? I think that we complicate the process ourselves ",- F. Mustafa said.

According to the amendments , the right for information reception on the founders is given on the condition that it does not contradict Azerbaijan’s national interests in political, economical and military spheres, protection of interests in financial credit and currency policy spheres, provision of social order, health and dignity, protection of other people’s right and freedom, commercial and other interests and the courts’ authority.

12.06.2012 17:08