DUSHANBE, September 22, Asia-Plus - Germany’s AFS Consultancy International (phonetically spelled) will support development of small and medium-sized businesses in Tajikistan.

On Thursday September 21, Asanali Karamaliyev, the deputy head of Tajikistan’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI), met in Dushanbe with visiting manager of AFS Consultancy International for projects to support small and medium enterprises and development of agriculture infrastructure in Central Asia, Petra Hei (phonetically spelled). 

A source in the Tajik CCI said German experts had arrived in Tajikistan to study the possibilities of implementation of those projects in Tajikistan. 

According to the source, in the course of the talks Hei noted that the project aimed at supporting development of small and medium-sized businesses includes several stages and leans on independent structures of country, uniting business communities with a long experience in running entrepreneurship.  “She noted that in Tajikistan such a structures is the Chamber of Commerce and Industry,” the source said.    

Germany’s AFS Consultancy International has worked for some 30 years.  The projects in Central Asia are supposed to be finished before 2010-2010.

 “We are ready to provide support in working out strategies to develop small and medium-sized businesses, agribusiness, marketing, infrastructure in rural areas and raise living standards of rural population,” Petra Hei was quoted as saying.  The company’s experience of work in countries with transition economy allows more efficiently implementing projects and finding solution to set problems, according to her.  

For his part, Karamaliyev noted that support of international organizations could help tackle many problems connected with training of the chamber’s personnel, improvement of its material and technical maintenance, etc.