Commercial Law Reform Program Celebrates Successes
After three years of promoting reforms, the USAID/Bulgaria Commercial Law Reform Program (CLRP) announced the completion of work in three of its four program areas. CLRP was commissioned in 2003 to develop a more business-friendly environment to encourage investment in Bulgaria. With its reforms now successfully underway, CLRP is closing its assistance in Commercial Registration, Commercial Law Training, and Commercial Dispute Resolution. Work in the remaining area – Judgment Enforcement – will continue through September 2007, as CLRP helps to implement private judgment enforcement legislation passed with USAID assistance.
To mark this occasion, CLRP organized a Closing Partners Meeting on October 27, 2006 that was attended by more than 100 people from its Bulgarian partner institutions. Several key reform successes were highlighted and local partners were thanked for the crucial roles they played in achieving those reforms. In his opening remarks, USAID/Bulgaria Mission Director Michael Fritz observed that in just three years CLRP had “successfully promoted tremendously difficult and meaningful reforms.” CLRP and its Bulgarian partner institutions have greatly contributed to achieving USAID’s goal of helping Bulgaria achieve democratic governance and a successful market economy. CLRP Chief of Party Chris Thompson acknowledged that these high level reforms were made possible only by CLRP’s strong reliance on Bulgarian partner institutions and local media.
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| U.S. Ambassador to Bulgaria, John Beyrle, discusses commercial
registration reform implementation with Deputy Minister of Justice Anna
Karaivanova and Parliamentary Member Ianaki Stoilov |
Discussion groups at the Closing Partners Meeting noted CLRP’s significant reform success in each of the completed program areas. First, its leadership of an winning effort to design and pass legislation reforming Bulgaria’s 28 antiquated court-based registers into a national electronic register administered by the executive branch and fully accessible by the Internet. Second, the development of four high-demand commercial law training courses that were adopted for continuing education by the National Institute of Justice for training of judges, by the Attorney Training Center of the Supreme Bar Council for training of lawyers, and by the International Banking Institute for training of bankers and businessmen. And finally, its training of local experts as commercial mediators supported the creation of commercial mediation centers and helped design a sustainable commercial mediation training program taught by local instructors.
During the meeting, USAID awarded certificates to acknowledge its many local partners in commercial law reform: the Ministry of Justice Registration Agency, National Institute of Justice, Supreme Bar Council, International Banking Institute, various district courts, mediation centers, and business representative organizations. The partners were recognized for their dedication and professionalism in designing and implementing business-friendly reforms that have made true reform possible. USAID has invested over $4.5 million toward achieving commercial law reform in Bulgaria, and only through continued dedication and hard work by these institutions and professionals will the reforms initiated by CLRP achieve long-term success.
At a reception held after the meeting, United States Ambassador to Bulgaria, John Beyrle, acknowledged the monumental difficulties Bulgarians face in transitioning to a market economy and raised a glass to toast CLRP’s Bulgarian partners in building a better business climate.
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