“Afghan organizations such as the Central Business Registry in Hirat encourage greater economic prosperity and the creation of new jobs.  We are pleased to support this project. Together, through organizations such as this one, we will continue to promote Afghan-led efforts to build a brighter future and to deepen the Afghan-U.S. partnership.”  - Ambassador Wayne

Ambassador E. Anthony Wayne, Coordinating Director for Development and Economic Affairs, today helped launch Afghanistan’s third provincial Central Business Registry Office in Hirat.

All Afghan investors and traders are required by law to be registered, to obtain a tax identification number (TIN), and to be published in the official gazette.  They can now easily complete most of these steps at the Central Business Registry in Hirat.  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 opportunities and to expand and support Afghan businesses nationwide.

“This reform streamlines the business registration process, saving entrepreneurs time and money to operate a business in Afghanistan, leaving entrepreneurs more time to focus on growing their businesses and creating jobs for Afghans,” Ambassador Wayne noted in his remarks.

H.E. Wahidullah Shahrani, Minister of Commerce and Industry, said the Hirat opening shows his ministry’s commitment to improving the enabling environment for businesses to operate throughout the country.

“This service is provided for entrepreneurs forming a business.  This process that used to take more than one week has been reduced to 1-2 days, and has resulted in greater transparency, reduced corruption, and increased efficiency,” Minister Shahrani said.

The new Central Registry was renovated and furnished in cooperation with the Ministry of Commerce and Industry and with the financial assistance of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).