OREANDA-NEWS. August 12, 2011. IFC, a member of the World Bank Group, supported the government of Tajikistan in drafting the new Permits Law, which was ratified by the president of Tajikistan last week.  The law will reduce administrative barriers for businesses by significantly streamlining the process of permit issuance.

The new Permits Law was developed using a regulatory impact-assessment tool introduced for the first time in Tajikistan by IFC.  It will reduce the number of permits from 607 to 85, with significant savings in time and money for the private sector.  The IFC Business Enabling Environment Project and the government of Tajikistan have worked jointly to reform the permit system since 2009.  In February 2011, IFC helped the government launch the Single Electronic Registry, which streamlines the process of starting a business by providing Tajik entrepreneurs with detailed information on business licenses and permits.

“Since the independence of Tajikistan in 1991, entrepreneurs have suffered from bureaucratic barriers and burdensome permit procedures,” said Matlyuba Uljabaeva, Chairman of the National Association of Small and Medium Business.  “We are confident that the new Permits Law will greatly improve the situation on the ground.  Significant credit for this is due to IFC and its partners, DFID and SECO.”  

“The Tajikistan government has shown a strong commitment to supporting private sector growth, particularly for the small-and-medium-enterprise sector,” said Christopher Miller, IFC Country Officer for Tajikistan.  “We will continue our partnership with the government to help improve the country’s business environment.”

The IFC Business Enabling Environment Project is funded by the government of Switzerland through the State Secretariat for Economic Affairs (SECO) and United Kingdom’s Department for International Development (DFID).  The project aims to improve the business environment in Tajikistan by removing key regulatory barriers to business entry and operations.