Cablegate: Prt Bamyan: Bamyan Economic Initiatives Receive

VZCZCXRO3075
RR RUEHDBU RUEHIK RUEHYG
DE RUEHBUL #4437/01 2711149
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 281149Z SEP 06
FM AMEMBASSY KABUL
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 2860
INFO RUCNAFG/AFGHANISTAN COLLECTIVE
RUEHWL/AMEMBASSY WELLINGTON 0205
RHMCSUU/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC
RHMFIUU/HQ USCENTCOM MACDILL AFB FL
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEHNO/USMISSION USNATO 3014
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEKJCS/OSD WASHINGTON DC
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KABUL 004437

SIPDIS

SIPDIS
SENSITIVE

DEPARTMENT FOR SCA/FO, SCA/A, EB, EUR/ERA, EUR/RPM
NSC FOR HARRIMAN
OSD FOR BREZEZINSKI
REL NATO/AUST/NZ/ISAF
CENTCOM FOR CG CFC-A, CG CJTF-76
RELEASABLE TO NATO/NZ/AUSTRALIA

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PREL PGOV ECON AF
SUBJECT: PRT BAMYAN: BAMYAN ECONOMIC INITIATIVES RECEIVE
SUPPORT

Summary
--------

1. (U) Bamyan,s Chamber of Commerce is making strides as
private sector advocates, thanks to assistance and guidance
from the Afghanistan International Chamber of Commerce (AICC)
and the Center for Private Enterprise (CIPE). AICC,
recognizing the Chamber,s potential even with its current
weaknesses (difficulty translating its vision into an action
plan), has agreed to open a local AICC office, possibly as
early as November. They have also offered to provide
training in business development for women and high school
students. End Summary.

Bamyan Chamber Evolves
----------------------

2. (U) Over the last several months the Afghanistan
International Chamber of Commerce (AICC) and the Center for
Private Enterprise (CIPE) have been working with the Bamyan
Chamber of Commerce to develop its skills as a private sector
advocate. In March 2006, CIPE explained to the Bamyan
Chamber how it could help the Chamber develop expertise in
strategic planning, business association development, and
women,s enterprise development. The AICC then organized a
National Business Agenda meeting in Bamyan in April 2006,
which brought together almost 200 civic and business leaders
from Bamyan Province to gauge what matters most to them
(Note: This was done in several provinces and the input was
used to create the National Business Plan, which identifies
common problems and suggests solutions for business people
and the Central Government). AICC thereafter held a
three-day workshop at the end of May 2006 and gave the Bamyan
Chamber advice on advocacy, strategic planning, membership
development, marketing, and advocacy. With that training
under its belt, the Chamber decided to cast its lot with
AICC, with the idea of creating a local chapter of AICC in
Bamyan.

3. (U) On September 10, the AICC made a follow up visit to
Bamyan to meet with the Bamyan Chamber of Commerce Board of
Directors and together they decided to create a local chapter
of the AICC. The Board of the Bamyan Chamber of Commerce
selected Ali Akber Eklaqi to be the interim chairman, Haji
Mir Alam to be the interim vice-chairman, and the Bamyan
Chamber of Commerce Chairman Haj Chaman Ali to be its
Advisor. They also selected a site for the new chapter and
hope to have a formal opening in early November.

Vision for the Future: Women,s Business and High School
Entrepreneurship
--------------------------------------------- --------

4. (U) In addition to meeting with the Bamyan Chamber,
Christina Grecu of CIPE met with Fatima Kazimeyan, Director
of the Department of Women,s Affairs. They discussed
CIPE,s willingness to help establish an Afghan Business
Women,s Association here in Bamyan. (Note: In Bamyan center
there is currently only one female shopkeeper, but many women
in the province are very active in handicraft production and
rug weaving, both of which typically are done from home.)
Grecu offered to return to Bamyan to explain to any
interested women how such an association would benefit them.
She also proposed arranging a training program for the women
on how to prepare a business plan, market their goods and
access customers. Kazimeyan asked about other types of
training and it was agreed that Grecu would provide her with
a list of the different types of programs CIPE could offer.
Kazimeyan agreed to examine the list and solicit input from
the Bamyan women to identify programs of interest.

5. (U) The CIPE folks also met with the Bamyan Director of
the Department of Education to discuss offering a program on
entrepreneurship for high school students. CIPE,s
&Tashaboz8 program involves training teachers to teach

KABUL 00004437 002 OF 002

basic entrepreneurship concepts to students and put together
entrepreneurship manuals. The Director provided a letter of
support for this program and two high schools in the province
have made commitments to join the program. The CIPE folks
hope to bring a trainer from Kabul to instruct the Bamyan
teachers and they hope to commence in November in order to
complete the training before schools reopen in March.

Comment
--------

6. (SBU) Continued support and guidance from AICC and CIPE
is a most welcome development since it will be crucial in
boosting the Chamber,s advancement of Bamyan,s nascent
private sector while reining in unrealistic expectations of
what the Chamber, and the province, can achieve in the short
term. Their offer to assist women and high school students
in business development is also a wonderful opportunity for
the province, since these two often overlooked groups are
eager to acquire business skills.
NORLAND

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