DUSHANBE, August 18, 2009, Asia-Plus — The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) presented office equipment and furniture worth 23,000 USD to the Sughd Free Economic Zone (FEZ) in northern Tajikistan, according to press release issued by the USAID Dushanbe Office.
This gift was made through the USAID Regional Customs and Trade Liberalization Project (RCTL), which is working to make it easier for businesses in Tajikistan to import and export goods.
The Government of Tajikistan passed a law on Free Economic Zones in 2004, establishing zones in Sughd and Panj. These zones create favorable conditions that stimulate investment opportunities in Tajikistan, creating more jobs, boosting local production, and increasing the country’s export potential.
Speaking at the event, Mr. Allen Shinn, Regional Director of the USAID Trade Liberalization and Customs Project (RTLC), said, “International experience indicates that the creation of special customs and tax conditions, as well as the simplification of entrance and exit procedures for non-residents, brings economic development and increases employment.”
In addition to supporting the development of Free Economic Zones, the USAID RTLС project has assisted the Tajik Government in revising the Customs Code to bring it into compliance with international
standards and World Trade Organization (WTO) requirements. The project helped the Tajik Government to prepare for a meeting with the WTO to further its application for membership and also to develop a system that will simplify export and import procedures.
The Regional Trade Liberalization and Customs Project works to foster economic growth and improve the competitiveness of Tajikistan through improving conditions for international and cross-border trade and transit, and is one of the many assistance projects made possible by the American people through USAID. Since 1992, the American people, through USAID, have provided more than 300 million USD in programs that support democratic institutions, the social sector, and economic growth in Tajikistan.
