AZERBAIJAN: IMF REPRESENTATIVE BRIEFS REVENUE

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 BAKU 001798 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPT FOR EB ASSISTANT SECRETARY DANIEL SULLIVAN AND BOB POLLARD DEPT PLEASE PASS TO USTR SHAUN DONNELLY, PAUL BURKHEAD AND BETSY HAFNER TREASURY FOR ASSISTANT SECRETARY CLAY LOWERY, DAS NANCY LEE, AND JEFF BAKER USAID FOR DREW LUTEN E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/11/2016 TAGS: ECON EFIN ETRD PREL AJ SUBJECT: AZERBAIJAN: IMF REPRESENTATIVE BRIEFS REVENUE MANAGEMENT GROUP ON MACROECONOMIC TRENDS Classified By: DCM JASON HYLAND, PER REASONS 1.4 (B, D) ¶1. (C) SUMMARY. The IMF Resident Representative provided an overview of Azerbaijan's macroeconomic environment at a November 30 meeting of the Friends of Azerbaijan Revenue Management Group. Azerbaijan's GDP is projected to grow by 32 percent in 2006, while the non-oil sector fiscal deficit has grown to 30 percent, highlight the economy's increasing reliance on energy. Official inflation data for 2006 indicates that inflation remains tame at 12 to 13 percent. IMF inflation estimates, however, indicate that the real rate of inflation stands closer to 20 percent as the GOAJ continues to manipulate CPI data. The money supply has increased 110 percent so far in 2006 and the value of the Azerbaijani manat has held steady against the U.S. dollar since the National Bank shifted monetary policy stabilizing the exchange rate. Calling the 2007 budget "moderately expansionary," the IMF representative noted that the final list of large capital expenditure projects, however, would not be announced until early 2007. The IMF recently learned that the Government of Azerbaijan (GOAJ) had been able to spend the entire budget for 2006, surprising many economic observers. The RMG group also expressed concern that a Russian Presidential Decree banning all foreign workers operating in bazaars, retails shops, kiosks and other areas by April 2007 would have a negative impact on Azerbaijan's economy, although Minister of Economic Development Babayev downplayed the decree's impact. END SUMMARY. MACROECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT -------------- ¶2. (C) At the November 30 Friends of Azerbaijan Revenue Management Group (RMG) meeting, the IMF Resident Representative briefed the group on the current macroeconomic environment, noting that the economy continues to grow quickly. Azerbaijan's Gross Domestic Product is projected to increase by more than 32 percent in 2006. He stated that the non-oil sector fiscal deficit had increased from 12 percent in 2005 to more than 30 percent in 2006, highlighting the economy's reliance on the energy sector and shrinking role played by the non-oil sector. In addition, the IMF had recently learned that the GOAJ had successfully spent its entire 2006 budget expenditures. In early 2006, the economic consensus was that the GOAJ would be able to spend only a portion of the approximately USD 4 billion budget due to weak government oversight and economic structural limitations. Transparency of GOAJ spending and procurement remains a major concern with increasing government budgets. INFLATION HIGHER THAN OFFICIAL DATA -------------- ¶3. (C) The IMF rep stated that official inflation has remained muted at 11.2 percent and the GOAJ expects year-end inflation to total between 12 and 13 percent. Due to the long lag between spending effects and inflation, the IMF believes that GOAJ's large expenditures (begun in June 2006) would eventually hit the economy in early 2007. Unofficially, the IMF estimates that inflation is much higher than official totals, reaching as high as 18 to 20 percent. Due to a statistical quirk, the GOAJ is currently using average 12 month inflation data which lowers inflation to 8.5 percent, accomplishing a 2005 President Decree to maintain single-digit inflation. The IMF representative highlighted that salaries had increased 30 to 40 percent so far in 2006, leading many observers to question the GOAJ's official consumer price index data. MONETARY POLICY -------------- ¶4. (C) The IMF rep said that money supply increased 100 percent for the first 11 months of 2006 and would probably reach 120-130 percent by year's end. The Azerbaijani manat's steady appreciation against the U.S. dollar appears to have slowed since July as the National Bank of Azerbaijan has shifted its monetary policy. In 2005 and early 2006, the NBA had been allowing dollars to circulate in the foreign exchange market allowing the manat to appreciate and holding back inflationary pressures. After a presidential speech BAKU 00001798 002 OF 002 highlighting the need for a stable exchange rate, the NBA appears to have started converting dollars to manats rather than pushing the foreign exchange on to the market, and stabilizing the manat-dollar exchange at 0.88 manat to the dollar. As a result, the manat in real terms will likely show no appreciation against the dollar in 2006. In 2005, the manat appreciated seven percent against the dollar. 2007 STATE BUDGET -------------- ¶5. (C) Regarding the 2007 State Budget, the IMF rep said that Parliament had made no material changes and that it would be signed by the president in the next two weeks (budget details reported septel). Calling the budget "moderately expansionary," the IMF rep noted that expenditures had increased 60 percent while revenues increased 53 percent. The final list of large capital expenditure projects, however, would not be announced until early 2007. AZERBAIJANIS IN RUSSIA -------------- ¶6. (C) The RMG group also discussed the November Russian Presidential Decree banning all foreign workers operating in bazaars, retails shops, kiosks and other areas by April 2007. The group agreed that this measure was certainly focused on Georgians working in Russia, but that it would also affect some of the 2-3 million Azerbaijanis living and working in Russia. The IMF rep noted that the GOAJ had created a commission led by a Deputy Prime Minister to examine the situation. One participant noted that if Azerbaijanis were unable to work in Russia, long a source of badly needed remittances, it could create a difficult political and economic situation for the GOAJ. In a separate meeting with the Ambassador December 5, Economic Development Minister Babayev confirmed that the GOAJ had created a special commission led by First Deputy Prime Minister Eyyubov to review the recent Russian anti-foreign worker decree. Babayev downplayed the decree's impact on Azerbaijan, predicting that only 10,000 Azerbaijani workers would return from Russia to Azerbaijan and that Azerbaijan's economy could easily absorb these workers. COMMENT -------------- ¶7. (C) Azerbaijan's economy continues to charge ahead and will most likely be the fastest growing in the world again in 2006, expanding at more than 30 percent. The IMF resident representative's overall view of the economy continues to be cautious as official quantitative economic data does not always highlight imminent problems. The relative fiscal restraint of the 2007 State Budget is a positive development, along with large increases in public heath and education sectors. In 2007, the GOAJ will continue to increase salaries leading possibly to higher inflation. The lack of a transparent business environment and corruption remain two of the major challenges facing GOAJ economic decision-makers. HYLAND