Azerbaijani municipality faced with numerous problems was able to sign to a number of progresses and successes in the period of decade activities. Firstly it should be noted that the main achievement was known as a management structure of local self-governed system in the society. Each member of society has already information about municipalities not depending on the meaning. According to the analysis of the previous year, municipalities have made concrete steps in their territories within 10 years. However, the representatives of municipalities would be able to do much works within these years, on condition that any obstacles were not laid by the corresponding executive power to the activity of the mentioned bodies.
A number of municipalities distinguished with their activity and have a firm standing was able to do works both in directions of increasing budget allocations and fulfilling extra services to the people by creating service areas. According to the investigations done in this area, comparing with 2002 year, allocations for service areas of municipalities in expenditure in 2005 year increased from 5.0 % to 9.5 %. The growth level lately has reached to 14-15% by increasing. The activity in mentioned area was connected with creation of communal service areas. Generally, 12-15 % of the common expenditure is directed to the forming of other service areas. Qusar municipality, Kapaz, Nizami, Siyazan and other municipalities of Ganja, and also Sabail, Narimanov, Nasimi, M.A.Rasulzada, Bilajari, Amirjan and Zabrat municipalities of the capital were able to create other service areas together with communal service areas. Nowadays Sabail municipality formed an institution for the purpose of creating transport service and having purchased 8 Lorries of brand “Kamaz” and 10 cars of brand “Azsamand” leased for the activity of the institution. The municipality carried out this program though having faced with the obstacles of the corresponding bodies in fulfillment of this process and today 20 people were employed. Nasimi municipality purchased two ceremony services for the purpose of fulfilling ceremony service and put them into people’s use. It draws extra allocations to municipality budget and also a number of people are employed. According to the analysis of the previous year, citizen society sector carried out actively in this direction. Thus, since 2005 up to now “Aran Humanitarian Regional Development” Public Association technical and material assisted to creation of service areas of municipalities in its activity territories (Barda, Agdam, Agjabadi, Yevlax, Goranboy, and Tartar). In the mentioned lining up, agro technical service in Qarademirchi-1 municipality of the Barda region, Galabadinli municipality of the Khanereb and Agjabadi region, magar service in Jinliboluslu municipality of the Goranboy region and other services in other municipalities were created.
As a result of the activity of these service areas the municipality budget got considerable income, high quality work was done for the people on the account of few allocations and also a few people were employed.
“Multimedia Information systems and technologies” Public Association, Free Consumers’ Union, Assistance Center to Economic Initiatives took decisive steps in accordance with the creation of extra service areas in the framework of the project.
As a result of investigation on this issue we can come to a conclusion that a number of artificial challenges were created in the process of forming additional institutions in the municipalities. For example, it should be noted that Astara municipality could not register the enterprise founded in 2007. The institution would serve to the people by transportation. This process remained unsolved for a long time. M.A. Rasulzada municipality of the Binaqadi region was forced to close its asphalt factory, which built on the account of credit after two years in 2002. Thus, the municipal who order to the people discounted asphalt as a result wasn’t able to pay employees’ salary and the enterprise lost its profitability ability. Not having been fulfilled the terms of the contract by the new budget organizations increased enterprise’s debtor debts and as a result it appeared the necessity of closing down the enterprise. Besides, Nasimi municipality put it passenger microbus of “Qazel” brand on the market as it was forced to face with the obstacle of executive power in accordance with the admitting on a route line for the people’s use.
As it is seen, laying bureaucratic obstacle to municipalities cause involving extra allocations to the local budget. That’s why, though a few municipalities have available resources, they don’t have wish to create additional service area. Another purpose is the lack of competitive ability of the service on the market. Thus, both in the transport area and in the agriculture area the level of the service offered by the municipality is not durable to the competition with the services offered by the private enterprises or state bodies and the offer of the municipality less than market prices is not accepted by the citizens.
What can be offered as a way out of the real situation;
1. Giving communal service of the people to the municipalities in the capital or large settlements should be considered expedient. Today the municipalities participate in the transportation of rubbishes both in the capital and in the regions. However, service fees are collected by the corresponding executive power. It should be noted that, any transparency is not provided in spending collected allocations by the executive power. It should be taken into account that a large sum of budget money is allocated for communal services. It will cause to economize these budget allocations if this direction is given to the municipalities. The main task is to solve this problem in the framework of the legislation.
2. Holding operating dispensaries and giving their use to the municipalities can cause increasing the authority of the municipality and involving allocations. It seems to be free of charge but in reality payable policlinics can involve extra allocations to the local budget. Taking into account that municipal legislation makes opportunity for it. According to the law on municipalities’ status of the Azerbaijan Republic, if the executive power empowers the municipality, then allocation of the project should be provided. Thus, if this part of the law is concrete, i.e. amendment is made to this part; allocations of local budget would increase.
3. If we take into account Azerbaijani army to equal with NATO standards and pay attention to the cancelation of military procurator’s office, then the municipalities should be empowered and functions of cancelled commissariats are able to be given to them. It should be noted that these opportunities are reflected in foreign state experience. If we add here fulfillment of employment process by the municipalities in accordance with the youth returned from military service and also information resources of youth, then besides increasing the authority of the municipal, rendering certain services for the people will make opportunity to growth of local budget allocations.
4. It can be carried out giving all of the processes of development of the areas interested by people, birth-death and marriage to the municipalities. It should be noted that this process is the same all over the world. Mentioned areas in some European countries and CIS involved in the authority of local bodies by legislation. Other communities were empowered for any purposes in Azerbaijan. Giving mentioned areas to the municipalities means appearing additional service in the local body.
5. In order to solve existing problems in creation of municipal enterprises, forming separate law project and approving by Milli Majlis(National Assembly) can give a chance to solve the problem once and for all. All the legal parties, social benefit of employees must be reflected in the project of the law and in this direction the existing obstacles must be legally solved.
Thus, municipalities as local self-governed bodies must fully operate and must be able to solve all the problems of the people in their territory. For this purpose, service areas of local bodies must be created. However, the municipalities must be empowered by additional authorities mentioned above and also financial directions in order to carry out the process. In this case, Azerbaijan municipalities will have a firm standing by solving the problems of local importance independently and freely.

Expert Vuqar Tofiqli