November 15, 2009 marked an important day for the Ministry of Commerce and Industry as it opened the doors of its new Afghanistan Central Business Registry in the province of Herat, a major economic hub for the western region of Afghanistan. The ACBR, which streamlines and accelerates the process required to register a company, has already commenced operations earlier this year in Kabul, Mazar and Jalalabad. From strategic vision to implementation, USAID’s EGGI program has provided ongoing support to the MoCI, and the ACBR opening in Herat represents a key milestone as project initiatives are expanding into various regions throughout the country.
The highly publicized ceremony hosted by MoCI and USAID attracted senior officials of the GIRoA and USG, including H.E. Minister of Commerce and Industry, the US Assistant Ambassador, USAID Mission Director, , Herat Governor, Chairman of the National Economic Commission and Herat Parliament Member, and the AISA Regional Investment Manager in Herat.
Herat Governor Dr. Ahmad Yusuf Nooristani welcomed the opening of the ACBR stating, “The main objective of the Central Business Registry is to streamline the registration process of businesses. With the establishment of Central Business Registry in Herat, this province will be able to provide necessary facilities for investors and traders of the western zone such as Ghor, Farah and Badghis provinces.
H.E Waheedullah Shahrani, Minister of Commerce and Industry stated in his speech that “Our purpose is to provide facilities for businesses and private sector community. We believe that with streamlining of registration process of businesses, we can provide better services for national traders and private sector community. Meanwhile, with removing barriers in this regard; we would like to reduce corruption and expedite trade activities.” |
