DUSHANBE, November 26, Asia-Plus  -- The first public seminar to discuss issues related to corporate governance was held in Khujand, the capital of the northern Sughd province, on November 22, according to Tajikistan’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI).

The source at a CCI said the seminar is part of the Corporate Governance Project run by International Finance Corporation (IFC). 

The main objective of the seminar was to discuss general issues of corporate governance, including attraction of new investments and raising efficiency of decision-making process, the source said.   

The seminar participants included representatives from Sughd companies, local authorities and media.   

The Project is implemented and funded by the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private sector arm of the World Bank Group.  IFC announced the launch of the Project in Tajikistan in October.

The mission of the Project is to improve corporate governance practices of Tajikistan’s joint-stock companies and banks in order to increase their ability to attract investment.

To meet these objectives, the Project will be working in Kazakhstan on the following principle activities, with the possibility of later extending these activities into other Central Asian countries: working with joint-stock companies and banks to implement and improve corporate governance practices; advising on improvements to the legislation and regulatory environment regulating corporate governance issues; partnering with local educational and training institutions to help develop corporate governance programs targeted to the needs of the next generation of business leaders; and conducting a public education campaign to raise awareness about corporate governance among Kazakhstan’s population and shareholder base.

The project is scheduled for the next two years beginning in October 2007.