AmCham unveils five top business concerns

TIRANA, July 16 – Constructive dialogue, a sixty-day consultation of draft laws with the business community, greater transparency in fiscal planning and budgeting, fair practices and timely procedures in the Administrative Court system, and reduced informality are the five fundamental issues that the American Chamber of Commerce in Albania would like new
Government to address to create a positive climate for investment, business development and employment.
The issues are introduced in the AmCham 2013-2017 Business Agenda published in the 2014 AmCham Yearbook.
The Chamber says it looks forward to engaging with the Government on these issues during its term and on assisting Albania’s integration into the European Union and the broader Euro-Atlantic community.
The number one issue for the AmCham is that the business community is given a 60-day period on consultation of new laws. “In order to efficiently participate in change, the Chamber proposes that a period of 60 days be allocated for public debate on new or revised regulations, decrees, or other proposed changes to government policy. Publication of decisions should be made in advance of their enactment.”
The second issue for AmCham is a revised format of the Business Consultative Council (BCC), currently rebranded as the National Economic Council. “The suggested 60-day period for consultation will also allow the BCC to gather comments from the business community, and to have those comments presented to the Council of Ministers, as legal practice.”
The number three issue is promoting greater transparency in government’s fiscal planning and budgeting. “As new tax policy is formulated, the Chamber is eager to engage in its development and implementation, including improvement of VAT reimbursements and the equitable application of tax audits and collections.”
AmCham encourages the implementation of the Administrative Court system. “Special emphasis should be made to ensure that the court system applies fair practices and timely procedures, and that it becomes a reliable process to increase business confidence and to attract greater international and local investment in Albania,” says the Chamber in its fourth issue.
The Chamber also anticipates close interaction with the government as it develops policies to reduce the informal sector and to increase transparency in the application of fiscal laws and procedures, which are fundamental to sustained business growth.
The 2013-2014 AmCham Business Index expects a slight recovery in the business climate for 2014 when the Albanian economy is forecast to grow by 2 percent, down from an estimated 0.4 percent in 2013 which was the lowest growth rate in more than a decade. Survey results show that the majority of respondents think that informal economy (76 percent), government bureaucracy (76 percent), monopoly and unfair competition (62 percent) and corruption (67 percent) were at high or very high level during 2013.