The Afghan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) Officials in Herat report a significant increase in Afghanistan’s exports compared to last year. According to the ACCI officials in the western city of Herat, the export of commercial products in comparison to the first quarter of last year shows an increase of more than 30%.
Mohammad Younes Qazi Zada, the director of ACCI in Herat told 8 am that the export of commercial products had been satisfactory in the past three months. He is concerned about the freezing of traders’ capital in the banks, insisting that the Taliban government should step in to release their accounts so that the transaction process does not become problematic. Mohammad Younes Qazi Zada also wants the export income to return to the country through a regular banking system. He says the country’s diverse products should be marketed in global markets, including agricultural, medical, livestock, and handicraft products.
On the other hand, Mohammad Rafi Rahmani, executive director of the ACCI in Herat told 8 am newspaper that in the first quarter of this year, 13,471 tons of the country’s exports, have been sold abroad. These exports include agricultural products, animals, fresh and dried fruits, and handicrafts. He estimates the total value of exports this year at more than $4 million, which has been exported from the country’s western ports.
According to the ACCI in Herat, the exports this year compared to last year show a 35% increase. In the first quarter of 1399 AH, the country’s exports from the western ports were reportedly 10,221 tons worth more than ten million dollars, but the number of exports this year reaches 13,471 tons worth 16 million US dollars, which is a significant increase in exports.
Mr. Rahmani added that compared to the first quarter of last year, this year the export increased around 3520 tons, which shows a 35.2% increase compared to last year. Most of Afghanistan’s exports, including medical products, dried fruits, agricultural and livestock products, medicinal plants, and handicrafts, are exported across land borders to West Asia and the world.
In addition, ACCI officials in Herat report the normalization of trade in the western part of the country, adding that the only concern is the freezing of their capital, which has been implemented by the Taliban cabinet for further evaluations. Mohammad Younes Qazi Zada, director of the ACCI in Herat, called on the Taliban to release the merchants’ monetary accounts. He emphasizes that if traders’ monetary accounts are still closed and their assets frozen, the trade process will face negative consequences.
According to reports, the import and export of commercial goods from the two ports of Islam Qala and Turghundi in Herat have returned to normal. Custom operations have been resumed following the visit of the acting minister of the Taliban for finance to the province. Some investors in the west of the country are worried about the freezing of their investments in the banks and are calling on the Taliban to address this issue. They emphasize that as long as their capital is frozen, they can make no effort to boost the current shuttered market.
ACCI officials in Herat say that in order to solve the problems of traders, the Taliban cabinet should prioritize them and try to free their capital while examining accounts.
