The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) has announced a 50 percent reduction in taxes for eligible taxpayers under a decree issued by the Supreme Leader, with the measure applying to four categories of taxes.

Speaking at a conference in Kabul on Sunday, Administrative Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Salam Hanafi said the reduction is intended to ease the burden on taxpayers. He also instructed tax collection officials to treat taxpayers in accordance with Islamic principles and uphold appropriate conduct throughout the tax collection process.

Hanafi said the tax reduction applies to legal entities, natural persons, property transfers and petroleum products, with taxes in these categories reduced by 50 percent.

Meanwhile, Finance Minister Mohammad Naser Akhund said the government would address the concerns and challenges facing taxpayers. He stressed that tax revenues would be used to support the country’s economic development and finance public programmes.

At the same event, Minister of Commerce and Industry Nooruddin Azizi said the objective of the tax reduction is to strengthen the national economy. He urged taxpayers to conduct their economic activities transparently and added that, following the suspension of trade with Pakistan, licenses had been issued to 100 pharmaceutical and medical equipment manufacturing companies.

Officials from the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) also said the tax reduction would ease the financial burden on economic actors and create conditions for increased investment. The chamber’s head, Sayed Karim Hashemi, said the measure would not only support investors but also contribute to the country’s economic growth and recovery.

During the meeting, officials of the Islamic Emirate also announced that new investors will be exempt from paying taxes for five years. They added that Afghanistan has now achieved self-sufficiency in the production of 300 different goods.

The Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) and the Qingdao International Exhibition Center of China have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) to expand trade cooperation and organize joint exhibitions and business meetings.

The MoU was signed on the sidelines of the International Manufacturing Machinery Exhibition in the presence of officials from the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment and a number of Afghan traders.

Under the agreement, Chinese manufacturers and traders, particularly producers of industrial machinery, will participate in the Fifth National and International Imam Abu Hanifa Exhibition, where they will showcase their latest machinery and equipment to promote their products and expand economic cooperation with Afghanistan.

The Embassy of Afghanistan in Moscow has announced that Gul Hassan Hassan, Afghanistan’s Ambassador to Russia, held separate meetings with representatives of the Russian Chamber of Commerce and Industry and officials of the North–South International Transport Corridor Forum in Astrakhan to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

According to the embassy, the meetings focused on expanding trade, economic and transport relations between Afghanistan and Russia, enhancing direct links between the business communities of both countries, and broadening joint cooperation in the fields of agriculture, energy, industry, transportation and logistics.

The embassy said the Russian side also invited Afghan officials and business representatives to participate in the North–South International Transport Corridor Forum in Astrakhan.

According to the Embassy of Afghanistan in Moscow, both sides emphasized the importance of Afghanistan’s active participation in regional transport corridors and underscored the need to further expand economic cooperation between the two countries.