"In recent days, the heads of appraisal companies operating legally and lawfully in the country have appealed to AQC, stating that they are subjected to pressure by the leadership of the Azerbaijan Chamber of Appraisers."
This was stated to journalists by Vugar Oruj, Chairman of the Board of the Azerbaijan Society of Appraisers (AQC).
He stated that the Chamber is pressuring companies and appraisers who are members of AQC through administrative methods, demanding that they withdraw from AQC. Otherwise, it threatens to expel them from Chamber membership. They claim they will achieve this by finding "defects" in the companies' work.
"The Chamber was formed by AQC members. That is, the majority of those represented in the current Chamber emerged from the AQC ranks. We strive for the development of the sector and have repeatedly appealed to the Chamber for cooperation. However, the other side acts based on a monopoly ideology. Far from working for the development of the sector, it tries to hinder those who do. What does this mean? Mr. President issued a decree on the establishment of the Chamber for the development of the sector. But the Chamber, through its activities, demonstrates the opposite. This directly contradicts the principles of the Azerbaijani state."
Vugar Oruj also stated that to prevent pressure, the Society was forced to remove the names of AQC members from its official website:
"Members appeal and state that they want to operate in the public sector and also have business interests. The Chamber forcing them to choose leads to serious complications. I regret that the institution tasked by the state to regulate the appraisal sector in the country is spending its resources and all its activities on the regression of the public sector, especially on restricting the activities of AQC."
The Chairman of the AQC Board stated that although the Chamber's illegal QR requirement was abolished by state bodies, the process is still being continued by the Chamber's leadership.
"The ACA (Azerbaijan Chamber of Appraisers) is also conducting counter-propaganda in the member countries of the Council of Turkic States Appraisers' Associations, which I head, attempting to discredit AQC and create discord within the institution where appraisers from Turkic States are concentrated. We once again appeal to the Chamber through the public, stating that it should refrain from activities that create division in the sector. We are proponents of unity and sector development and are ready to take any positive steps for this."