Afghanistan Times
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By Farhad Naibkhel-KABUL: Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI) on Tuesday blamed the neighboring countries for hampering the export of Afghan merchandise that hurts the trade, also accusing the government of inattention.
“We ask the government to stop shouting slogans and support industries and exports,” said deputy chief of chambers Khanjan Alkozai.
He urged that the government must help private sector with providing standard laboratories for the export.
“The government should particularly focus on mechanization of agriculture,” Alkozai said.
He called high tariffs, shortage of land and energy as the other challenges ahead of private sector.
Alkozai highlighted that police on the highways take illegal taxes from traders.
Pointing to barriers creating by neighboring countries, he said that “Pakistan increases taxes from 2,500 to 7,500 Pakistani rupees on each ton of export in the seasons of fruit.
Afghan government must take measures to address all challenges in order to support domestic products and export, he insisted.
The ACCI Chief Executive Officer Attiqullah Nasrat, said that Afghanistan’s import is around eight billion dollars, while it exports only $515 million.
He said that although in the past four years imports of goods decreased to Afghanistan, but still our export is at low level.
Abdul Bari Rahman, deputy commerce minister said that a five-year strategy was drafted to address the abovementioned challenges and support industries.
He said that efforts were going on to manage infrastructures for industries to foster domestic products.
Head of Afghanistan Investment Support Agency Qurban Haqjo expressed concern over imbalances between export and import, saying that investment drawdown, poverty, decline of incomes and unemployment are the main challenge at current situation.
He said that in order to lead the country exportation toward betterment, the government must support private sector and industries to produce enough goods with better quality and reasonable prices.
He said that government must help traders to export Afghan goods under the name of Afghanistan from the country in order to bring foreign currency to the country.
In order to bring down products cost the related organs must provide traders with loan facilities and industrial parks in the country, he underlined.
