Steady State

What does the country with 37% growth look like?

October 30th, 2007 by sanan

Here we have a nation succeeded to be recorded as the fastest growing nation in last three years in a row. Yet, they are real candidate to seize the fourth one as well; it is calculated that 37% growth will be witnessed next year. Well, in last 5 years the budget quadrupled, government spending increased even more. Last year government built 7 bridges within Baku and the cheapest one cost more than USD 11,000,000; made more than 1000km new asphalt; purchased tens of new airplanes; more than 500 BMW and Volkswagen Toureg for policemen; the salaries increased approximately 3 times and salary of policemen was increased 6 times or more in last three years. For that matter until last 2 years when you disobeyed the traffic rule you were expected to pay max 5$, but now the slightest misdoing will cost you more than 15-20$; to enter Baku State University Law Department will definitely cost you more than 200,000$ and nearly 100,000$ more to graduate. The tuition fee in Harvard University is averagely 30,000$. That is normal indeed given that the GDP growth in USA is 5-7%, while 37% in Azerbaijan.

It’s been more than 3 months I am back to home country, still observing and still left in coma. Seriously, I can not believe how the country may change that much in a year. When I left the city a sot of land cost 2000$ in Baku, but now the sot of a land is around 5000$ in regions 200km far from Baku. The prices are scary in Baku. The barber used to display his grate when you paid him $2 now you have to pay 7-8$ to considerable modest barber not to hear a swearing. The most important thing, however, is now most of the population talk and make exchanges with manat, national currency, rather than dollars. Deposits made by citizens increased 70% within last year and now everyone can borrow money from banks given that they are Baku residents and employed. The first thing struck me was the car industry. Now there is no car as well as textile company left out of the country. Few years ago when you were waiting on traffic lights you could hardly see a non-Russian (inamarka) and it was next to impossible to see ladies driving. Today when I stop on traffic lights I look around to see a Russian car. I think, solely my personal judgment, ladies comprise around 10% of all drivers.

Few weeks ago police delivered a report following a huge and scandalous crash. According to them in Baku there are 7000 BMW X5 and the cheapest X5 will find a buyer from 45-50 000$. I don’t believe there is another city that bears 7000 X5s, No way!!! May be only Armenia or Georgia could compete with us if they have had 37% growth. That is something special about Caucasus. Subsequent to police report I decided to count the Range Rovers the most popular car together with Audi Q7, both cost around 100,000$. During my break, which lasted 10 minutes in a not the most famous street of Baku I counted 6 Range Rover. Eh that are some facts about the country…Most probably 1 skyscraper is built in a day in Baku and 70 officially registered new cars brought to Baku. Now Baku is candidate to be the city where buildings are more than people and cars have to be parked on highways.

  Eh is it really good? Of course and absolutely no are the two answers at the same time. It is good for rich obviously. Rich get richer and they find whatever they wish. Most popular song of nowadays is “kimde varsa pul life is wonderful” (whoever has the money life is wonderful). Eh it is really good too see many more fashionable youngsters in the streets. To have an option to fly in few directions within the country. That is nice people can easily go to Italy to have their summer holidays and it is good that people have a chance to listen Elton John and Jennifer Lopez in Baku. More importantly, now Baku is candidate to 2016 Olympic games and the country is planning to have world’s most expensive bridge built in the sea. Eh Azerbaijan is the only country with the city built in the centre of sea anyway, that is somewhat part of our tradition. On top of all of these is that government finances 5000 students to study abroad, although it did not go without the touch of corruption…

Yet the official inflation is 16%, but believe or not price of many goods are increased by 40-50%. I can easily say Baku is more expensive than Budapest and Istanbul. Almost in all spheres of economy; lifestyle, enjoyment, housing, cars, medicine and what not. Poor gets poorer now, rich easily buy whatever poor is pushed to sell. Pauperism is not something disappeared. IPD’s are still part of nation’s poor and 20% of territories are under occupation, though the military budged is increasing in an incredible pace.

So the country with 37% growth is something like, a space without parks but full of high skyscrapers, SUV parked on the roads because of lack of space; full of imports and Chinese people, I think we are gonna have a Chinatown soon; imitators of west in an ugly fashion; thousands of people loaned to banks; most trendy cars and beggars begging on their window; far from democracy and respect to human rights…Anyway to sum up in a briefest fashion I would say: the country with 37% growth looks like another Arabic country with Azeri population…

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