The Ministry of Finance is planning to change tariffs at customs in a bid to provide the Afghan traders with more facilities, officials said.
A conference for the private sector was held on Thursday in Kabul, where the companies shared ideas to face existing problems in Afghan trade and industrial sectors.
Talking to a gathering of national private sector people in Kabul, the acting Minister of Finance, Hedayatullah Badri, said the Islamic Emirate will bring changes in tariffs to imports and exports.
“Considering the economic condition of the country, and to prevent possible damages to the private sector, we will revise the tariffs at the customs,” said Hedayatullah Badri, Minister of Finance.
The first deputy of the Prime Minister, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, told the gathering that the Islamic Emirate had eliminated the problems at the customs.
“The Islamic Emirate eliminated problems for traders,” Mullah Baradar said.
The acting Minister of Industry and Commerce, Nooruddin Azizi, called on the traders to import standard and quality commodities to the country. He said that the rate of Afghan exports has surged over the past three months.
“Despite problems, we had $1.1 billion in exports this year,” he said.
The acting Minister of Industry and Commerce gave credit to Pakistan for providing facilities for the Afghan traders.
As Afghanistan is a landlocked country and mainly relies on its neighboring countries in order to get access to the international market.
Meanwhile, the volume of Afghan exports increased this year compared to last year, the Ministry of Commerce and Industry said, putting the total worth of exports at around one billion dollars.
“The exports reached around one billion and fifty million dollars’ worth. It is a high rate. The exports were affected during the recent changes, but it is now at a normal level,” said Nooruddin Azizi, minister of Commerce and Industry.
According to the chamber of commerce and industry, the rate of importing products from foreign countries has dropped this year compared to the previous year.
“As you know the situation in Afghanistan, our imports have dropped in the past two quarters of the year. The demands are low in the market,” said Khanjan Alokozai, a member of the chamber.
The traders also said the export of fresh fruits increased by 25 percent this year. They called on the current government to provide more support to the traders.
“They should prioritize trade and support it. They should consider the problems of the traders. Our exports should not be limited only to Pakistan. We should have exports to the whole world,” said Najat Haidari, a trader.
The Afghanistan exports mainly include fresh and dry fruits, carpets, and precious stones.—Tolonews
