The Center for Analysis of Economic Reforms and Communication (CAERC) has dedicated a special edition of the Azerbaijan Economic Reforms Review to the “Procedures for Obtaining Construction Permits” indicator.

The review provides information on the reforms carried out under the “Construction Permits” indicator of the Doing Business 2019 report. To improve Azerbaijan’s ranking in this indicator, the number of procedures required to obtain permits for construction and operation of buildings has been reduced to 10. Construction projects are categorized into those requiring expert examination and those that do not, with the list of projects not requiring examination expanded. Additionally, technical conditions for this process can now be obtained at “ASAN Kommunal/Service” centers through a single request under the “One-Stop Shop” principle.

Overall, the issuance of construction permits is carried out in three stages:

Stage 1: Project planning of the construction facility is conducted. At this stage, the Baku City Executive Authority provides initial information within 10 days through the “One-Stop Shop” system. Licensed companies then carry out engineering and survey works, and the Ministry of Emergency Situations (MES) issues its opinion. Topographic surveys are also conducted by the designer or the respective licensed company.

Stage 2: After submission and verification of documents, the Baku City Executive Authority issues the permit. Within 3 days, the applicant submits proof of ownership, lease, or usage rights, the construction project, and if the applicant is a legal entity, a copy of the extract from the state registry of legal entities. If the expert review is not submitted, the MES provides its opinion within 15 days. Technical conditions are obtained through the “One-Stop Shop” principle at ASAN Kommunal/Service, eliminating the need for separate approvals from other relevant authorities.

Stage 3: The final stage involves submission of the readiness certificate and testing reports to the relevant executive authority. The building is registered in the “State Register of Constructions,” assigned a usage code, and entered into the “State Register of Real Estate,” from which the extract is obtained.

The April edition of the Azerbaijan Economic Reforms Review can be accessed here:
http://iqtisadiislahat.org/columns

It should be noted that in the Doing Business 2018 report prepared by the World Bank, Azerbaijan improved by 8 positions, moving from 65th to 57th place among 190 countries, and was recognized as one of the top three reformist countries in the Europe and Central Asia region.