AFGHAN-AMERICAN
CHAMBER OF COMMERCE
CONFERS FIRST
“BUSINESSPERSON OF THE YEAR” AWARD ON EHSAN BAYAT

WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Board of Directors of the Afghan-American Chamber of Commerce (AACC) inaugurated its annual “Businessperson of the Year” award on November 12 by naming Mr. Ehsan Bayat, Founder and CEO of the Afghan Wireless Communications Company, as its first recipient. The award was presented at the AACC’s third annual U.S.-Afghan Business Matchmaking Conference in Washington, D.C. by the entire Board of Directors in a ceremony that was co-hosted by AACC Chairman Ajmal Ghani A. and AACC President Atiq Panjshiri and attended by more then 250 guests.

Mr. Bayat is an Afghan-American who has made a significant private sector capital investment in post-9/11 Afghanistan. Under Afghanistan’s challenging post-Taliban conditions, Mr. Bayat assembled the capital, technical expertise, management team and workforce in the beginning stages of the new Afghan market economy.  His wireless network became operational in April 2002 and has expanded to provide services into every province, providing a key part of the infrastructure necessary to Afghanistan’s economic development.

Mr. Bayat went on to found Ariana Television and Radio in 2005. Ariana is the largest independent broadcaster in Afghanistan, with a signal that now reaches the majority of the people throughout the country and is transmitted worldwide via satellite. Ariana presents programs in Dari, Pashto and English, keeping Afghans informed via news and educational programming.

Mr. Bayat is also founder of the Bayat Foundation, the largest private donor in Afghanistan, which has re-introduced corporate social responsibility in Afghanistan. The Foundation is building schools, clinics and hospitals, donating ambulances and fire fighting equipment, and providing food and clothing for the needy.

Each year the AACC’s “Businessperson of the Year” award will recognize an American investor or U.S.-based business entity that has made a major contribution to business development in Afghanistan. Specifically, the award honors someone who has had a significant effect on private sector development and reconstruction in Afghanistan, and on the increase of U.S – Afghan business ties. Award recipients are selected through a review of nominations by the Board’s Executive Committee, which recommends a candidate to the entire Board for a vote. Selection requires approval by a majority of the AACC’s Board members. This initial year, 14 candidates were nominated.

This annual U.S.-Afghan Business Matchmaking Conference convenes U.S. and Afghan leaders from the private and public sectors to promote the role of business development in Afghanistan’s reconstruction and emerging economy. It is the largest yearly gathering that brings together American and Afghan business representatives to discuss business and investment opportunities and joint ventures. This year, more than 250 leading representatives of U.S. and Afghan corporations, educational and development organizations, and government agencies participated. The conference is complemented by an informational trade fair, showcasing companies and organizations based in the U.S. and Afghanistan as well as resources available from U.S. Government agencies.

The Afghan-American Chamber of Commerce (AACC) is the leading organization facilitating U.S.-Afghan business, investment, and trade ties.  AACC serves the interests of its members through numerous programs, advocates for a free and open market economy in Afghanistan, and endeavors to strengthen U.S.-Afghan economic relations.  AACC is a growing national organization, bringing together companies, organizations, and individuals with a stake in helping Afghanistan succeed and developing opportunities in an emerging economy.