Zakir Novruzov

Thank you for your loan. It has been disbursed to Zakir Novruzov by Norwegian Microcredit LLC (Normicro) in Azerbaijan. We are excited to watch this business grow. Over the next 14 - 16 months, Norwegian Microcredit LLC (Normicro) will be collecting repayments from this entrepreneur and posting progress updates on the Kiva website.

Zakir drives a bright blue, 1987 Latvian-made shuttle van on the busy route between the industrial town of Sumgayit and Azerbaijan’s capital of Baku. He used his $1,000 loan, financed by Kiva lenders, to overhaul his van. Initially, he intended to purchase another van, but this proved to be unaffordable. Instead, he had “big repairs” done and now the van is much improved.

I caught up with Zakir briefly at NorMicro’s Sumgayit office between his taxi trips to Baku. The taxi industry in Azerbaijan is highly competitive and highly regulated. Most drivers operate independently and own their vehicles. Zakir is able to fit in three or four round-trips on his 30 kilometer route each day. In the morning, he must first undergo a mandatory medical checkup before heading out on his route. Prior to picking up passengers, he must wait in a long queue of other independent taxis awaiting the call forward from a transportation official.

There is a constant stream of travelers between the two cities, so the vans fill up quickly. Zakir can hold 14 passengers in his van and he charges each passenger about 50 gopik (or 0.50 US$) for the ride. His operating expenses include maintenance (which is much reduced now, thanks to the engine overhaul) and government fees. Licensing, taxes, road usage fees, and gas expenses add up quickly.

Zakir, his wife, and his young child live in a crowded Soviet-era “workers’ hostel” in Sumgayit with other internally displaced persons. He is originally from the Agdam region, but came to Sumgayit in 1993 due to the conflict and subsequent occupation.

Photo: Zakir stands next to his newly repaired van, before heading back out onto the highway.