Afghanistan Times
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AT Monitoring Desk
KABUL: Traders in northern Kunduz province have said a number of commercial companies at the Sher Khan port have been declined from 145 to only eight due to bad security situation.
They warned that all companies may halt its activities at the port if the security situation not improved.
Sayed Mujtaba Hashemi, head of Traders Union in Sher Khan Bandar, told Pajhwok Afghan News that insecurity, extortions and lack of customary facilities had forced traders to reduce their investment in Kunduz province.
“Two years ago, 145 companies were active at the port now but there are only eight, if the situation does not improve, the rest of the companies will withdraw their investments,” he said.
Sayed Jalal, deputy head of Traders Union, said they faced serious problems due to insecurity in the region.
“Traders now confront thieves on Sher Khan Bandar highway, they are kidnapped besides suffering other security issues, we do not know what to do,” he said.
He said most of traders at the port had withdrawn their investment and moved to other ports of the country.
Meanwhile, Kudnuz provincial council head Yousuf Ayubi said the number of investors at Sher Khan Bandar had declined.
He said: “The port and other officials do not treat traders in good manner, security problems have also increased, how a trader would show interest in such a situation to invest.”
Massoud Wahdat, spokesman of the provincial Chamber of Commerce, also said investments in the port had significantly decreased and probably no trader would stay there if the situation continued.
Kunduz governor’s spokesman, Esmatullah Muradi said that the governor had met with traders and promised to resolve problems they faced.
Sher Khan Bandar is one of the country’s key ports connecting Afghanistan with Tajikistan.
