1,000 tankers carrying low-quality fuel refused entry at borders

Afghanistan National Standards Authority (ANSA) officials say in the past year, 1,000 tankers carrying low-quality fuel have been stopped from entering the country and returned to the country of origin.

According to the officials, in the 1401 solar year, serious motoring of fuel stations, petrol storage facilities and facilities storing food items was carried out as part of quality control measures.

“Last year, around 60,000 oil tankers entered the country through various ports and quality was checked. Among these, the quality of 1,000 oil tankers was not good and [the tankers] were returned,” said Faizullah Tamim, head of ANSA.

According to the officials, in the year 1401, a total of 775 national standards and six national codes were implemented in the fields of engineering, urban development, construction, roads and bridges, in accordance with the Afghan culture and the standards of countries and regional organizations. The officials said efforts are being made to set another 58 regulated standards applicable to various fields in the quality control process.

“In four zones of the country and the capital Kabul, 24 iron smelting factories, steel bars and construction materials have been inspected, and the results are satisfactory. This is a fundamental development in strengthening the construction sector,” Tamim said.

Evaluating products and issuing quality assurance certificates, setting and implementing national standards, and finalizing memorandums of understanding with Iran, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Pakistan; and activating the coal laboratories, equipping the labs in the country’s ports, and rolling out metrology laboratories in the country are key projects for ANSA this year.