Baku, Fineko/abc.az. The State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan (SOFAZ) has announced a 4-fold drop of yield in its assets placement.

SOFAZ executive director Shahmar Movsumov stated in an interview with newspaper Respublika, the official organ of the Cabinet Ministers of Azerbaijan, that in 2005-9 yield in Fund’s assets placement was at 3.69% and in 2010-11 it dropped to 0.91%.

"As a result, after changing the investment strategy, in 2012 the Fund was allowed to invest up to 15% of its assets in equities, gold and real estate. Currently SOFAZ started investing in physical gold, and during this year it will start investing in real estate," Movsumov said.

By 1 April SOFAZ assets reached $32.4 billion or 75% of Azerbaijan’s strategic currency reserves, equal to $43.2 billion. Since the end of 1999, when the Fund was established, its revenues totaled $70.8 billion, from which only 45.7% were kept. In 2003-12 the SOFAZ transferred AZN 27 billion to the State Budget of Azerbaijan. At that, in 2012 its transfer will make up 60.3% of the Azerbaijani State Budget revenues.

07.05.2012 11:20