Qatar Chamber achieved a significant expansion in its electronic services provided to its members last year, and strengthened the issuance of remote transactions through its website.
The chamber issued 68,369 transactions in 2020, including 35,274 online transactions, or 52% of the total number of dealings, Qatar Chamber general manager Saleh bin Hamad al-Sharqi said.
He also noted that 35,086 certificates of origin, of which, 17,637 were issued online, accounted for 50.3% of the total number of certificates of origin. In 2020, about 52% of the chamber’s transactions were implemented through its website.
The chamber has achieved significant progress in its electronic services and further developed its technological infrastructure to streamline services and transactions for its members, he said.
Al-Sharqi also said a total of 2,189 new member companies joined Qatar Chamber in 2020, taking its total membership to 62,247. He pointed the chamber held more than 110 physical and virtual events last year and hosted nine commercial delegations.
“Qatar Chamber hosted nine trade and business delegations last year from several countries, such as Brazil, Turkey, Bangladesh, New Zealand, Ethiopia, Mexico, and Azerbaijan, among others. 
“These meetings discussed the enhancing of co-operation between Qatari businessmen and their international counterparts. The meetings reflected the international interest in Qatar’s investment climate and confidence in the Qatari economy,” al-Sharqi said.
He said in 2020 the chamber held meetings with foreign officials and representatives of ministries and chambers to help Qatari businessmen learn about the investment opportunities available abroad.
Al-Sharqi said the chamber also hosted meetings with local officials to review matters related to the private sector, such as a meeting with the CEO of the Investment Promotion Agency (IPA) and a meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar.
The chamber held 19 seminars and forums, including the Qatar Chamber SMEs Conference, Public-Private Partnership Conference, Qatar-Germany Business Forum, Supporting Local Manufacturers Forum, Qatar-Turkish Business Forum, Qatar-Kuwait Business Forum, seminars on the joint labour committees and with officials of QDB on the bank’s strategy in supporting exports services, a series of workshops on the services of the Ministry of Administrative Development, Labour and Social Affairs (MADLSA), and a meeting with MADLSA officials to review demands and grievances of businessmen regarding amendments to the labour law.
Al-Sharqi said the chamber adopted a number of important initiatives that contributed to encouraging the private sector to perform its role during the pandemic and overcome its impact on the economy.
He said the chamber launched the ‘Takatuf Initiative’ to enhance the private sector’s contribution to the State’s efforts against the effects of the pandemic, and to motivate large companies to support small and medium-sized companies that have been adversely affected by the health crisis. 
“Last year, the chamber was keen on strengthening communications with all concerned authorities in the State to address all issues related to the Qatari business community and the obstacles it faces during the pandemic to ensure it plays its role in the national economy to guarantee the continuity of business and projects,” al-Sharqi added.
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