Business
Ariana Afghan Airlines faces financial crisis as COVID-19 looms
As per some pieces of evidence received by Ariana News, Ariana Afghan Airlines has fired 40% of its employees while decrementing the payrolls for the remaining employees up to 30%.
Some members of parliament criticize Ariana Afghan Airlines for firing its employees considering it an illegal act. They urge the government to financially support this service company and save jobs.
The COVID-19 has wilted the only governmental airline company in Afghanistan.
The CEO of Ariana Afghan Airlines said that just in the first three months of 2020, the company had suffered a loss of seven million USD due to limited flights and that now efforts were underway to make up for the loss.
Ariana News has received some shreds of evidence which show that the Ariana Afghan Airlines has decided to fire 40% of its employees as well as to decrement the salaries of the remaining employees up to 30%.
Alem Shah Ibrahimi, the CEO of Ariana Afghan Airlines, said, “We terminating our employees because we have walked into financial crisis, and we will pay others at least 30% of their salaries. We have to manage the crisis and not let the company go bankrupt.”
Some legal bodies believe that the financial crisis cannot justify firing employees, especially when COVID-19 has hit people financially.
The evidence shows that Ariana Afghan Airline suggests allocating six million dollars to establish Bakhtar Airlines, although the airline is suffering from the crisis.
Therefore, the authorities have come under criticism for not financially supporting the almost bankrupt Ariana Afghan Airlines, and instead, are trying to establish another airline company.
Although Ariana Afghan Airlines is going through its hard time, with having 40% of its workers sacked, it still conducts domestic flights transporting service workers – meaning, it could be making money.
Moreover, the airline is trying to help import important goods from other countries to Afghanistan.
The government is expected to financially support the service and private businesses to help overcome the crisis derived from the COVID-19 pandemic.
Business
Afghanistan, Belarus discuss expanding industrial and trade cooperation
Particular attention was given to companies producing tractors, industrial machinery, and equipment and vehicles used in the mining sector.
Afghanistan’s Minister of Industry and Commerce, Nooruddin Azizi, met with Belarus’ Minister of Industry during an official visit to the country.
The two sides discussed the establishment of manufacturing plants in Afghanistan, the regular organization of the Afghanistan-Belarus Business Forum, and follow-up on issues raised through the countries’ economic commission.
Belarusian officials expressed appreciation for Afghanistan’s participation in the country’s international industrial exhibition and voiced interest in expanding the presence of Belarusian manufacturing companies in Afghanistan.
Particular attention was given to companies producing tractors, industrial machinery, and equipment and vehicles used in the mining sector.
The second International Industrial Exhibition of Belarus is being held with the participation of around 500 companies from different countries. The exhibition has also attracted visitors from European and Asian countries.
Business
Afghanistan, Tajikistan seek stronger trade and investment ties
The two sides discussed increasing trade exchanges, establishing direct links between traders and investors, and organizing joint economic programs.
The heads of the chambers of commerce and industry of Afghanistan and Tajikistan have agreed to strengthen bilateral trade, promote investment and expand cooperation between the private sectors of the two countries.
Sayed Karim Hashemi, head of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI), held an online meeting with Farhad Shah Rahman Alizoda, head of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Tajikistan, to discuss ways to expand economic ties.
The two sides discussed increasing trade exchanges, establishing direct links between traders and investors, and organizing joint economic programs.
Hashemi invited Tajik traders and investors to participate in the fifth Imam Abu Hanifa International Exhibition in Kabul.
Alizoda, meanwhile, invited an Afghan business delegation to attend a major trade and industrial exhibition in Dushanbe.
The two sides also stressed the importance of exchanging business delegations and developing long-term cooperation between the private sectors of Afghanistan and Tajikistan.
Business
Kazakhstan grain shipments to Afghanistan rise over 4-fold
Of the total, 7.2 million tons were transported for export, while 2.1 million tons were supplied to the domestic market.
Grain shipments from Kazakhstan to Afghanistan increased 4.4 times in the first eight months of the year, reaching 655,000 tons, according to Kazakhstan’s Transport Vice Minister Zhanibek Taizhanov.
Speaking at a government meeting, Taizhanov said Kazakhstan transported 9.3 million tons of grain by rail during the period, a 13% increase compared with the same period in 2025.
Of the total, 7.2 million tons were transported for export, while 2.1 million tons were supplied to the domestic market.
Taizhanov said grain shipments to Central Asia increased by 37%, while shipments to China rose by 34%. Grain exports through Russian ports also increased by 9%.
Meanwhile, combined fodder exports rose by 38% to 2.6 million tons.
Earlier, Kazakhstan’s Vice Minister of Agriculture Azat Sultanov said the country plans to commission 15 additional vegetable storage facilities by the end of 2026, with a combined capacity of 129,000 tons.
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