Announcement

Afghanistan Central Business Registry Launched in Mazari Sharif

Business registration time reduced from two weeks to a few hours.

Mazari Sharif, Afghanistan | Thursday, October 15, 2009

Photo: U.S. Embassy/Kabul

From left to right, Ambassador E. Anthony Wayne, Coordinating Director for Development and Economic Affairs at the U.S. Embassy in Kabul; Khan Jan Alekozay, Deputy Chairman of ACCI; Afghan Minister of Commerce and Industry Wahidullah Shahrani; William M. Frej, Mission Director for USAID Afghanistan; and Balkh Governor Atta Mohammad Noor cut the ribbon on the new Mazari Sharif branch of the Afghanistan Central Business Registry.

Small and medium businesses are the backbone of economic growth in many countries, including Afghanistan. To enable small businesses to legally register and thrive, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry recently opened a provincial Central Business Registry Office in Mazari Sharif with the support of USAID. The new office provides businesses with the opportunity to complete all steps of the registration process in one location. Additionally, the new computerized registry system helps to bring Afghanistan’s business registration practices up to international standards. It is one more step that the Ministry of Commerce and Industry is taking to create a healthy business environment and support Afghan enterprises in the country’s provinces.

“We established an efficient ACBR in Kabul and Jalalabad, and now Mazar, and an effective and practical relationship with our private sector customers,” said Minister of Commerce and Industry Wahidullah Shahrani. “This service is provided for entrepreneurs forming a business. This process that used to take several days has been reduced to few hours and has resulted in greater transparency, reduced corruption, and increased efficiency.” Balkh Governor Atta Mohammad Noor also welcomed the new office and added, “The establishment of the Central Business Registry in Jalalabad will make it easier for those businesses that had to wait up to two weeks or travel to Kabul to register.”

USAID/Afghanistan Bi-weekly Highlights Double Issue: 9/16/2009-10/15/2009 10/15/2009

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