Academy lecturer: Merger of municipalities eased budget oversight

The merger of municipalities in Azerbaijan has made it easier to monitor their budgets, Khalida Malikova, a lecturer at the Academy of Public Administration under the President, told Report.

According to her, the merger process helps ensure more transparent and effective management of budget revenues.

Malikova said that although more than 2,700 municipalities had operated since 1999, their number was reduced to 685 as a result of reforms. She said the changes made it easier to establish budget control mechanisms and increase accountability.

She added that the consolidation of municipalities created conditions for managing budget revenues and collected taxes in a more transparent and streamlined manner.

The lecturer also said various legislative reforms have been carried out to address the problem of limited sources of municipal revenue. She noted that amendments adopted in 2014 granted municipalities additional powers.