AmCham Azerbaijan is closely cooperating with the Azerbaijani government to promote the development of the private sector. As representatives of the international and local business community in Azerbaijan, we have a strong interest in seeing business succeed in Azerbaijan. The key to that success is a business environment which permits businesses to thrive. A healthy, competitive business climate is not only good for business but also for all the citizens of Azerbaijan, through the creation of jobs and wealth. AmCham, as the leading advocate of business in Azerbaijan, supports the government’s initiatives to improve Azerbaijan’s business climate. Our members have invested in every sector of Azerbaijan’s economy, and are uniquely placed to provide the government with insight into the issues which need to be addressed, in order to make Azerbaijan a highly competitive, attractive place to invest and do business. A significant part of AmCham’s contribution is reflected in our 2005 “White Paper”, consisting of “Observations and Recommendations for Improving Azerbaijan’s Business Climate”. In this publication, we identify the major obstacles to the further development of Azerbaijan’s private sector, especially in the non‑oil and gas sector. As the main focus of our committees’ activities in 2005, the White Paper covers taxation, customs, banking, finance and insurance, labor, tourism, agriculture and other areas. Emphasizing the success Azerbaijan has achieved during the last decade, we also stress areas which are still in need of improvement and propose possible solutions. In the White Paper, we provide a brief overview of all sectors of the Azerbaijani economy, and highlight the progress achieved as a result of a successful government strategy. While some of our comments are critical of certain aspects of the Azerbaijani business climate, we have endeavored to make the White Paper as constructive as possible by providing suggestions for improvement and offering our assistance. The White Paper was been prepared in a spirit of cooperation and in the hope that our contribution can help accelerate the process of Azerbaijan’s development, improving the business climate while at the same time increasing the prosperity of the country. We were proud to present the White Paper to President Ilham Aliyev in November 2005. The issues raised in the White Paper are being constantly discussed with the Government of Azerbaijan. We received a written follow-up from 15 key ministries and government agencies by late 2006. Copies of the 2005 White Paper are available in Azerbaijani and English versions, free of charge.
