In cooperation with USA Department of Commerce
NIC holds a workshop to develop franchising access into Iraq
NIC held, in cooperation with the Commercial Law Development Program, a workshop in NIC headquarters
Under the title of developing franchising access into Iraq as an introduction to the basic concept of obtaining franchise sign, name or an American trade system. This came with the presence of Dr. Sami al-Araji , NIC Chairman, and representatives from Trade and Foreign USA Ministries as well as about (60)businessmen from different local economic organizations representing the privet sector in Iraq .
NIC Chairman, during his presiding the opening session, stressed the necessity of Iraq inform of the excellent economic global experiences benefiting from these experiences to develop the Iraqi economy. Al-Araji clarified that there are two meetings to be held between the two sides, this workshop is to be dedicated to discuss the Iraqi need to USA services as well as the administrative and legal requirements for this process, while the second meeting will be held in Baghdad during March in this year between US donor companies and privet sector in Iraq.
NIC will nominate efficient representatives from the privet sector to represent the global franchising companies according to plans.
Al- Araji invited the Iraqi businessmen to invest the opportunity to get US trademark’s franchising optimally to produce different services to Iraqi families until reaching the phase of opening restaurants , commercial centers and international hotels chains in different provinces ,he also added that NIC nominated many provinces to enter these commercial marks as a first step followed by other ones to cover all Iraqi provinces according to the purchasing power of citizen and the logistic elements for each province .
In his turn, Mr. Keith Curtis, prime commercial advisors in USA Embassy in Baghdad, showed his gratitude and appreciation for the NIC to host this workshop, indicating that it came within a plan put in coordination between NIC, US. Embassy Department of Commerce and program of commercial law development , the plan includes three stages begins in identifying the potential franchise owner by the NIC then training candidates on basic concept of franchise while the final step is a study tour that can prepare the candidates for the negotiation process of granting franchise rights .
The workshop in the first session stressed on the basic elements of franchise models ( merits and demerits) , with reviewing different types of franchising agreements, while the second session was devoted to discussing how to identify and analyze the franchising opportunities with focus on the criteria used by franchisors to identify qualified owners.
The workshop witnessed discussion of the benefits of granting franchise and its economic effect on Iraq through creating job opportunities, developing the privet sector, founding improved products and services with the possibility of attracting future foreign investments. Explanations of how to choose suitable trademarks for the nature of the country and kinds of USA franchises such as (restaurants, accounting services, automobiles selling services, pharmacies, medical clinics, hotels commercial centers, malls and so on) were also presented during the workshop.
The workshop also witnessed wide discussions between the attendees and the presenters who answered all inquiries.
Worth mentioning that there are more than a million franchise company in USA that cover 50% of the sales volume in USA market employing 2.6% from manpower in American privet sector with 4% contribution to the annual American annual GDP.