Executive Director

Dear AmCham Members, Friends and Partners,

24.kg interview with Ainura Cholponkulova: it is time for Kyrgyzstan to appoint ministers on the competitive basis

http://www.24.kg/economics/72895-ajnura-cholponkulova-v-kyrgyzstane-prishlo-vremya.html

http://eng.24.kg/business/2010/04/27/11254.html

2009 has been rich in content for the Chamber in many ways. The AmCham has been successful in advocating trade, tax, IPR and educational issues. We put into practice thematic events such as the Second Annual Trade Conference and business lunches.

I would like to inform you that on 18^th February 2009, Members of the Kyrgyz Parliament Ishak Masaliev, Arapbay Tolonov and Nurgazy Aydarov initiated amendments to existing laws of Kyrgyz Republic on “Non-Profit-Organizations”.

I am glad to report that AmCham members feel a strong ownership, engaging in our ongoing activity. We regularly get positive feedback from our existing members.

On January 31, 2008 our Board approved AmCham overall and Committee priorities. We will focus on trade facilitation for the next two years. Importantly, our strategy fits with the mission of the Eurasian Business Platform, which is comprised of Eurasian region AmChams.

For the next two years we will focus on trade facilitation. During our upcoming Conference “Trade, Transport and Transit in the Kyrgyz Republic”, AmCham will design an action plan together with our partner business associations to promote trade issues.

April and June 2008 turned out to be hard-driving. Our April Trade Conference devoted to Trade, Transport and Transit in Kyrgyzstan has elaborated recommendations and an action plan. The recommendations include legislative, institutional and informative measures to the Government while the action plan would be used as an advocacy agenda of the business community.

First of all, on behalf of AmCham it is my pleasure to welcome H.E. Tatiana Gfoeller as US Ambassador to the Kyrgyz Republic. AmCham is delighted to continue the close partnership between AmCham and the Embassy that was forged previously.

I am pleased to inform you that we are scheduling our membership business lunch on December 5, 2008. As you are aware, the recently enacted New Tax Code will come into force on January 1, 2009. According to experts, the Tax Code has modified principles of taxation, simplified tax procedures, a reduced number of taxes, etc. However, a variety of challenges still exist. As such, there remains a lot of work to be done to effectively implement the bill.

One month passed since I joined AmCham. During that time I was deeply involved in both internal management issues and external communications with our members and stakeholders. Although summer is viewed as a quiet season, it is not the case for AmCham team.