AFI Special Prize for Extraordinary Contribution to the Development of the Business Environment in the Czech Republic

23 Jun. 2009 | CzechInvest, AFI | The Association for Foreign Investment presented its Special Prize for Extraordinary Contribution to the Development of the Business Environment in the Czech Republic to Weston Stacey, executive director of the American Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic. As a foreign correspondent, Mr. Stacey has dedicated himself to development in Central and Eastern Europe since the beginning of the 1990s. “When I was here as a journalist, I had the constant, nagging feeling that I would like to not only assess and often criticise, but also to contribute to and improve the investment environment,” says Stacey.

The American Chamber of Commerce in the Czech Republic has taken part in the preparation of a range of business norms and legislation. “Our greatest success, in my opinion, is that we managed to establish a group of firms and people who know that it is in their own interest to be involved in the community and to help it grow,” Stacey continues.

“It is clear to me that other governmental organisations will criticise me for this, but I truly believe that if CzechInvest did not exist, then the Czech Republic would not be where it is today in terms of the business environment,” Stacey adds. “From a purely business perspective, the Czech Republic of the 1990s and the Czech Republic of 2009 are two completely different countries. Everything has improved radically and today the Czech Republic is the best place to do business in Central Europe and one of the best places in Europe generally. And CzechInvest deserves credit for a large part of that improvement.”