TIRANA, Feb. 9 – The American Chamber of Commerce in Albania has strongly opposed a government draft law which makes the registration of businesses with the country’s chambers of commerce compulsory by paying an annual membership fee.
In a letter to the parliamentary economy committee, the Chamber which represents some of the biggest foreign and local investors, asks for the review of the bill which has already been approved by the government and is pending the final okay by Parliament, arguing that changes increase business costs and strengthen public-run chambers of commerce.
“The American Chamber estimates that this obligation will increase business costs and prevent the opening of new businesses. The initiative to strengthen public chambers is being undertaken by imposing a hidden tax on businesses,” said Lorenc Gjoni, the AmCham executive director.
The Chamber also expresses its concern over the government’s repeated legal initiatives without previously consulting the business community.
“The government is repeatedly undertaking initiatives and approving laws in the economy sector without consulting business associations,” said Gjoni.
Mark Crawford, the AmCham president, described the compulsory membership in a public chamber through an annual fee as a hidden tax which increases business costs and also puts into doubt their independence.
“If a chamber depends on the state budget or a government decision to attract members this means they are not independent but rely on government decisions. How relevant is their criticism in this case?” said Crawford in a TV interview.
Last December, the Albanian government 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 public 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 chambers of commerce must have a membership of at least 50 people.
The bill comes after public chambers of commerce and the Union of Chambers of Commerce and Industry of Albania have been facing financial trouble due to low 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.
Informal economy, government bureaucracy and monopoly or unfair competition were the top three concerns for 2014 reported by some 112 out of 220 AmCham business members, which include some of the country’s biggest foreign and domestic investors, shows the 2014-2015 AmCham Business Index, an annual index measuring the business climate perception of Chamber members.
