TIRANA, Dec. 9 – The Albanian government has approved a draft law that obliges businesses operating as a juridical person to join chambers of commerce and pay an annual membership fee. Membership on smaller businesses operating as a natural person has been left on a voluntary basis.
The amount and procedures on the collection of the membership fee will be determined by the Assembly of the Union of Chambers representing all the country’s chambers of commerce and industry. Some 30 percent of the amount of collected fees will go to the Union of Chambers of Commerce and industry of Albania, says the bill.
The draft law comes after the compulsory membership of businesses in chambers of commerce was lifted in 2007.
Under the new bill, which has already been submitted to Parliament for approval, chambers of commerce must have a membership of at least 50 people.
The bill comes after chambers of commerce and the Union of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Albania have been facing financial trouble due to poor membership, risking their membership in international and regional chambers.
“The increase in income will enable the chambers and of the Union of Chambers not only to fulfill their obligations stemming from international agreements with associations such as EuroChambers and the Association of Balkan Chambers, but also conduct normal activity in offering services to meet their legal obligations toward their members,” says the bill.
