OREANDA-NEWS. October 13, 2009. The Azerbaijani postal operator has made a decision to extend the World Bank’s Financial Services Development Project (FSDP), the major part of which is System of Postal & Financial Services & System of Computerization of Postal Operations for Azerpoct.

Novruz Mammadov, the director of the postal office of the Ministry of Communications & Information Technologies, says that close to 200 postal offices have been connected to this system by the present.

“We are to finish three more main tender procedures before the end of 2009. We will connect gradually the rest regions to the system. It is technically difficult process and we need to connect 1,200 postal offices, but are doing everything in parallel, both connections, telecommunications and network,” he said.

Azerpoct even managed to save finances allocated for the project.

“Over 60% of finances have been spent and 50% of the allocated money on the system itself.  We were to complete the project already this year but we extended it for the next year until June. The project does not need additional financing as certain amount was saved. The saved money will be returned to the WB,” Mammadov said.

Overall cost of FSDP is USD 17.75 million, including USD 12.25 million of the WB loan and the rest of the Azerbaijani government.