DUSHANBE, June 9, 2009, Asia-Plus — Prospects of development of construction activity in Tajikistan will be discussed in Dushanbe on June 11.
A seminar formally titled “Construction Activity in Tajikistan: Present and Future” is organized by the Agency for Construction and Architecture under the Government of Tajikistan under technical support of the USAID-financed Business Environment Improvement (BEI) Project.
According to press release issued by the Pragma Corporation in Tajikistan, the main objective of this event is in making representatives of private sector aware of the process of reforms carried out by the government in the construction sector and discussing problems facing construction activity in Tajikistan.
Besides, presentation of goals and objectives of recently established Association of Builders of Tajikistan will be held during the seminar. The association is dedicated to promote development of the construction sector in the country, enhancement of investment climate, introduction of new technologies and efficient use of the construction sector’s potentials for development of the country’s economy.
We will recall that the four-year Business Environment Improvement (BEI) Project (2006-2010) is financed by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, and Tajikistan.
The general areas of BEI activity are commercial law reform, government operational improvement, and association strengthening and public-private dialogue facilitation. Specific BEI activities are guided by local priorities, but the Project has a common goal for all 3 countries – improvement of the countries” rating in the World Bank “Doing Business” indicators in the following areas: registering, re-registering and closing a business; land registration; access to credit; protecting investors; and construction permitting and oversight
In Tajikistan, BEI Project activity is carried out at both national and sub-national levels, in close cooperation with government bodies and the private sector across all regions. BEI’s key partners include ministries and government departments such as the State Committee for Investments and Government Property Management, Ministry of Economic Development and Trade, Tax Committee, and Ministry of Justice. BEI also actively cooperates with local business associations such as the National Association of Small and Medium Business, Dushanbe Center for Entrepreneurship Support, Association of Microfinance Organizations in Tajikistan, American Chamber of Commerce in Tajikistan, the Union of Business Associations of Sughd Province and its individual member organizations, and the Coordination Council of Business Associations and Public Unions of Tajikistan, among others.
BEI’s activities in Tajikistan are designed to eliminate administrative barriers that impede the development of business in areas covered by the World Bank Doing Business indicators of: starting a Business; dealing with construction permits; getting credit, closing a business; paying taxes; and protecting investors. Additional non-Doing Business topics include assisting legislative transparency and effectiveness laws regulating entrepreneurial activity, and streamlining licensing processes. BEI also facilitates the creation and function of Free Economic Zones in RT in order to increase foreign investments and create new jobs.
