DUSHANBE, November 25, 2008, Asia-Plus -- The American Chamber of Commerce (AmCham) has been registered with the Ministry of Justice of Tajikistan.  The Eurasia Foundation of Central Asia (EFCA), with the support of U.S. Embassy in Tajikistan and U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), played a major role in establishing the association, which will contribute to the development of private enterprise in Tajikistan.

According to press release issued by EFCA, the EFCA, together with its partners and the local business community, hopes that AmCham Tajikistan will be a useful vehicle through which new companies will be able to cooperate with established investors as well as the government to ensure the development of private business in Tajikistan. It will also act as an advocacy group on behalf of local and foreign businesses, pushing to improve Tajikistani legislation to guarantee the development of the free market. In addition, it will help Tajikistan attract new foreign investment.

“I believe that Tajikistan needs to take some strong, encouraging steps to promote foreign direct investment into the country and to be a good place to do business. It is important to establish an independent platform for discussions between the representatives of business in Tajikistan on current problems that they experience, and AmCham is the best option,” said Nazir Sharipov, Director of the Representative Office of Tethys Tajikistan Limited. “I think that businesspeople also see AmCham as a platform for discussions with the government on issues vital to the development of private enterprise in Tajikistan.”

"We already see that many businesses locally and internationally are interested in joining AmCham Tajikistan. This means that the association is very much needed for the development of the private sector in the country", said Temur Rahimov, appointed as an Executive Director of AmCham Tajikistan.

AmCham Tajikistan will join the U.S. Chamber of Commerce network, the world’s largest business federation representing more than 3 million businesses of all sizes, sectors, and regions. It includes hundreds of associations, thousands of local chambers, and more than 100 American Chambers of Commerce in 91 countries.