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 the first provincial Central Business Registry Office in Jalalabad 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.

“Afghan businessmen will be able to register their businesses faster, cheaper, and easier,” said Minister of Commerce and Industry Wahidullah Shahrani. “This process that used to take several days has been reduced to a few hours and has resulted in greater transparency, reduced corruption, and increased efficiency.”  Nangarhar Governor Gul Agha Sherzai 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.”