Orkhan Mammadov: Expanding SME role in public procurement among key goals

Expanding the participation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in public procurement and ensuring equal competitive conditions for them are among the key objectives, said Orkhan Mammadov, Deputy Head of the Staff at Azerbaijan's State Agency for Antimonopoly and Consumer Market Control, Report informs.

Speaking at the conference under the theme Digital Financial Ecosystem: A New Stage in Governance, Mammadov stressed that ensuring competition in public procurement requires equal conditions and opportunities for all participants.

"To this end, the Unified Public Procurement Internet Portal has been established and is being continuously improved. Our main goals are to ensure the efficient use of state budget funds, enhance accessibility of procurement procedures, encourage and expand SME participation, and develop an effective competition mechanism," Mammadov said.

He noted that a new digital solution has been introduced on the etender.gov.az platform, where procurement conditions are now automatically analyzed using artificial intelligence.

"The results are advisory in nature for procuring entities. At an early stage, the system identifies technical errors, legal inconsistencies, and subjective or restrictive requirements that could create unjustified advantages for a particular supplier. This helps protect competition and reduces complaints and the risk of procurement cancellations," he explained.

Mammadov also emphasized the importance of digitalization and public awareness, noting that educational programs are regularly held in Nakhchivan and other regions, as well as online platforms, to increase accessibility.

He further announced plans for a new initiative aimed at preparing qualified specialists in public procurement, highlighting cooperation with universities in Baku and the regions.

"We can digitalize processes and improve legislation, but we also need qualified professionals to work with these systems, especially within procuring organizations," he added.