17:25 - 26.11.2025

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November 26, Fineko/abc.az. Opinions about the long-standing Agency for the Development of Small and Medium-sized Businesses (KOBIA) are mixed.

Many believe that KOBIA's activities have not covered a vast geography for a considerable time.

They believe that KOBIA's activities are more visible in Baku, while the Agency does not operate in the regions at all. We have made a request to the KOBIA press secretariat about this.

In response to a request from the ABC news agenc, it was also noted that KOBIA's service and support mechanisms are equally accessible to all business entities operating both in Baku and in the regions.

SME development centers that provide training and consulting services, as well as SME houses serviced on the principle of a single space, are used by entrepreneurs both in the capital and in the regions.

A wide network of SMEs operates in the regions to inform entrepreneurs, facilitate access to government support tools and provide consulting services. Currently, Dost SMEs cover about 50 cities and districts of the country. This network is actively working to create new SMEs in the regions, develop existing enterprises, and realize the economic potential of the regions.

To enable entrepreneurs in the regions to learn more about and use support tools and services, KOBIA is expanding information events, industry meetings, and direct communication with entrepreneurs, mainly in the regions. To date, more than 650 industry and educational meetings have been held with the participation of more than 24,000 entrepreneurs, the vast majority of whom are from the regions," the agency said.

By Elmir Murad