AZERBAJAN: POTENTIAL OF CONSTRUCTION SECTOR

• The Gross Domestic Product (GDP) of Azerbaijan increased by 9% and made up AZN 29,7 bln. ($37 bln.) from January to November 2009. The amount of the GDP per capita composed AZN 3360,7 ($4181,0).
• Growth rates of investments in the economy of the country also increased. Nearly AZN 6444,4  mln. ($8,05 bln.) was invested in the economy of Azerbaijan over the period from January to November 2009. Moreover, internal investments prevail above the external investments, their share in the total amount of investments are respectively 72.5% and 27.5%.  This increase is explained through large-scale construction works in the transport sector, demand for investments in the construction of production facilities.
• The amount of investments in the construction-assembly totaled 69,2% or 4461,8 mln.manats ($5,57 bln. ) from general volume of investments. $6,06 bln. was spent on the construction of production facilities, and $1,99 bln. - non-production.
• From January to November 2009 the foreign trade turnover with 138 countries comprised $18614,2 mln. In a given time Azerbaijan exported 935 types of goods and imported 4801. During this time the export index exceeded the import index that brought to positive balance in foreign trade turnover.

GANJA: INDUSTRIAL CENTRE

• Ganja is the second largest city in Azerbaijan and the centre of the Ganja-Gazakh economic region, located in the western part of Azerbaijan. Total area of the region is 12.49 thousands sq. km. sharing 14.4% of country’s total surface area. Population of the region is more than 1.14 million people that makes 13.4% of the total population of Azerbaijan.

• The Ganja-Gazakh economic region is reach with natural resources such as iron ore, alunite, limestone, marble, gypsum, zeolite, cobalt, gravel, raw cement as well as other building materials. Such resources as iron ore in Dashkesen, alunite in Zeylik, limestone in Khashbulag, bentonite in Dash-Salakhly are with deposits of industrial importance.

• In the frame of the State Program on the Socio-Economic Development of the regions in 2004-2008 the North-Western region maintains its status of one of the priority ones for investing.

• The Ganja-Gazakh economic region ranks second by output in the country. It contributes 12-13% of the total production of Azerbaijan. Industry of this economic region is presented by both the mining and manufacturing fields. There are extracting and processing enterprises for ferrous and non-ferrous metallurgy in Ganja Dashkesen.

• The main enterprises of the construction industry are the plant producing large panels for household production, metal-concrete materials, brick-seramics and marble plants, plant for exploring and processing of bentonite clay, brass and plastic products manufacturer including polypropylene pipes, gravel producing enterprise.

• Ganja and the whole economic region as well have the extensive transportation network including railways and highways connecting Azerbaijan to Georgia and the Black Sea. It is the main chain in realisation of Great Silk Road project, the modern international transportation corridor. In the frame of this project the reconstruction of Baku – Kazi-Magomed – Yevlakh – Ganja – Georgian board and local road building projects are being implemented.

• The active house building has place in Ganja, Dashkesen, Shamkir, Gazakh, Khanlar, Yavlakh and other towns. During last 3 years the prices for premises has increased in 5 times and kept growing. Within the frame of the state project on improvment of  water sypply systems of the towns in Azerbaijan the new water supply and sewing lines are under construction in Ganja and Shamkir.