Economists assess prospects for opening enterprises in Shusha

The enterprises that are opening trade and service facilities in Shusha can hardly hope for any profits yet, economists have noted. However, in their opinion, the operation in Shusha will bring profits in the long term; it will also help increasing revenues in other regions of Azerbaijan, becoming a sort of advertising.

Although the civilian population of Shusha is now small, there are many military servicemen in the city, whose needs for foodstuffs and other goods, as well as for financial services must somehow be satisfied, Natig Djafarli, the head of the "Respublika" Centre for Economic Studies, told the "Caucasian Knot" correspondent.

Of course, as he has noted, in the absence of civilian population, there is no sense to talk about a large purchasing demand. "However, by opening trade and service facilities, these companies are already taking their first steps into a new market, where thousands of people will return to live in the future, and given the tourism potential, a large number of travellers will come," Mr Djafarli has added.

On the other hand, he continued, the enterprises that have opened commercial facilities in Shusha – the AzCake confectionery chain or the Bolmart supermarket network – are large chains with branches spread throughout the country. "By opening enterprises in the liberated Shusha, given the great patriotic upsurge in the Azerbaijani society, they are gaining a positive image for themselves," the expert has noted.

Khafiz Babaly, the head of the economic division of the "Turan" News Agency, also believes that the enterprises that have opened in Shusha are still unprofitable, but in the future, as the population returns, they will be able to successfully develop their businesses.