Gulmammadov: 60% of procurements in Azerbaijan non‑competitive in 2025

A significant portion of public procurements in Azerbaijan was carried out without competition, according to Vugar Gulmammadov, Chairman of Azerbaijan's Chamber of Accounts, Report informs.

Gulmammadov shared this insight at today's meeting of the Milli Majlis's (Parliament) Committee for Economic Policy, Industries and Enterprising, where the Chamber's annual activity update was discussed.

He noted that within the 2025 work plan, 3,560 procurements were examined, covering 3.8 billion manats. Of these, 2,119 procurements (60%) were conducted without competition, through single‑source methods, with a total value slightly above 2.0 billion manats (approximately $1.2 billion). Audit and analytical activities revealed that 51.6% of violations were related to budget legislation, while 24.1% were linked to public procurement.

The chairman highlighted key problems such as unjustified contract splitting, expenses outside procurement coverage, poor justification for single‑source purchases, and changes to contract terms. He added that in 13 institutions, 30 cases of overspending beyond contract amounts were recorded. In nearly half of competitive procurements, contract values differed from estimated prices by 20% or more. In single‑source procurements, estimated prices were calculated in only 2% of cases.

Gulmammadov also pointed out that procurements are unevenly distributed throughout the year: 60% took place in the second half, and 31.2% in the final quarter. Out of more than 1,400 organizations, 64% began procurement processes only in the second quarter. About 30% of contracts were not fully executed, and internal control mechanisms were effective in only 10% of cases.

He stressed that although reforms have been carried out in recent years to increase transparency in procurement, digitalization alone is not sufficient to eliminate existing problems.