Baku: Despite the absence of expected dividends from the Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) project in 2025 and the indication by SOCAR, the project's executing organization, that dividend payments are not envisaged for 2026-2029, the Fund has forecast inflows of 404.4 million manats from the SGC project in the draft budget for 2026, APA-Economics reports.

According to Azeri-Press News Agency, this projection is included in the opinion of the Chamber of Accounts on the State Oil Fund of Azerbaijan's (SOFAZ) 2026 budget. The Southern Gas Corridor (SGC) Closed Joint-Stock Company was established following the implementation of Clause 1.1 of Order No. 287 of the President of the Republic of Azerbaijan. This order, dated February 25, 2014, pertains to the second stage of the operation of the Shah Deniz gas-condensate field and the establishment of the SGC concerning other projects.

The ownership structure of the SGC Company is such that 49 percent of its shares are owned by the state, while SOCAR holds the remaining 51 percent. Under Clause 4 of the Presidential Order, the shares directly owned by the state are managed by the Ministry of Economy of the Republic of Azerbaijan. Importantly, any dividends on these shares are designated to be transferred to SOFAZ, ensuring that the State Oil Fund benefits from the project's financial inflows.