DUSHANBE, 25.02.2021 (NIAT Khovar) – Today, the 21st Session of the Consultative Council for the Improvement of the Investment Climate under the President of Tajikistan chaired by the Prime Minister Kohir Rasulzoda took place with the participation of the council members, heads of a number of ministries and agencies, representatives of development partners and the private sector.

The session focused on the issues relating to the implementation of the decisions adopted at the previous session, the outcomes of the industry analysis and exploration of new opportunities for capacity building, as well as the items of the agenda for the next session.

Rasulzoda noted that during the recent years a significant amount of activities on development of entrepreneurship and investments, and improvement of environment have been accomplished. Particularly, the Tax Committee Single Window for simplified and free registration of legal entities and individual entrepreneurs was introduced that has been facilitating the simplification and reduction of cost for starting a business, increasing the number of entrepreneurs, and economic engagement of the population.

Single Window for export, import and transit transactions, acquisition of permit for construction, development of technical specifications for getting electricity, registration of property, and other latest mechanisms with the use of information technologies have been created.

In discussion of the first item of the agenda, Executive Secretary of the Council, Chairman of the State Committee for Investment and State Property Management Saadi Kodirzoda presented a report on outcomes of the monitoring of the implementation of the decisions made at the previous session.

Kodirzoda noted that the presidential executive order on the prevention of the impact of COVID-19 on socio-economic spheres in Tajikistan granted a series of incentives, including in the form of tax holidays, public property rental fee exemption, exemption from bank loan interest rates, issuance of soft loans and other preferences to the tourism facilities, hotels, public catering companies, recuperation and sports complexes, sanatoria, and international passenger delivery.

In order to improve public services, the Ministry of Justice is introducing an electronic system of civil registration and the legal portal. At the same time, with a view of increasing the efficiency of state bodies using a wide range of information and communication technologies, a draft law on public services was developed and submitted to the government for consideration.

The Agency for Statistics has introduced 31 types of statistical reports into the electronic system, three types of which are statistical reports of entrepreneurs operating in the industry.

Also, as part of the implementation of the governmental decree on the Expansion of Cashless Payments through Bank Cards, on September 1, 2020, Single Window for Registration of Export, Import and Transit Transactions was introduced, a draft national rating of the investment climate was developed, a governmental decree on the Concept of the Organization and Development of Agroindustrial Clusters in Tajikistan to 2040 of October 28, 2020, and the Program on Enabling Environment for the Implementation of Best Practices in Agricultural Production, i.e. Global G.A.P international standards was approved.

The second item of the agenda, Principal Deputy Minister of Industry and New Technologies Bakhtiyor Sharifi reported on the outcomes of the Task Force analysis of the state of the country’s industry and exploration of new opportunities to increase the industry’s capacity for discussion at subsequent sessions of the council, which was supported by its members.

While speaking on the last issue, Kodirzoda proposed three topics to discuss at the next meeting, including improvement of the investment and business climate in the field of catering and services in the sector, development of e-commerce, and export analysis and organization of the national system, which was supported by the members.

Also, the Chairman of the Development Coordination Council, World Bank Country Manager for Tajikistan Jan-Peter Olters, UN Resident Coordinator in Tajikistan Sezin Sinanoglu, member of the Consultative Council, Chairman of the Open Joint Stock Company Kulob Dairy Plant Bozorali Odina, member of the Advisory Council, head of the Korvoni Asr LLC Abdullo Hasanov, and others participated in the discussions of the agenda.

PM Rasulzoda emphasized a number of issues, such as the achievement of the national strategic goals, including the country’s industrialization, accelerated growth and expansion of industrial production, development of industrial cooperation, effective use of regional advantages in the industry, production of competitive export-oriented and import-substituting products, export of finished goods, the revised Tax Code aimed at supporting entrepreneurship, encouraging investment, corporate governance and other issues.

Rasulzoda also mentioned the measures taken to upgrade the status of the Consultative Council, the responsibility of local authorities for the development of entrepreneurship and investment, strengthening public-private dialogue and partnership in the regions.

Following the session, relevant guidance were provided to the ministries and departments, the relevant officials, and recommendations were made to the development partners on the issues discussed at the session.