Business

Balkh factory owners concerned about ongoing economic crisis

Published

2 years ago

December 27, 2021

(Last Updated On: December 27, 2021)

Balkh Chamber of Industries and Mine said that 90 percent of factories in the province are under extreme financial duress due to the economic crisis gripping Afghanistan.

According to officials, their problems stem from limited access to funds in bank accounts and to the limited support provided by the authorities.

Officials urged the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) to support domestic manufacturers and said if they did, export volumes would increase.

One member of the chamber said however that they were optimistic about the future.

“Factories are restarting their activities day by day. It has increased now. We are optimistic about the future. As you know factories produce employment opportunities… (factories) will impact the economy,” said Sayed Ismail Hussaini, a member of the Balkh chamber.

Some local businessmen said that they have been struggling since the takeover by the IEA in August.

“We export to European countries and to Russia. Now 80 percent of our work faced problems,” Sayed Hamidullah, head of a factory in Balkh.

Balkh women, employed in local factories, meanwhile called on the IEA to provide more job opportunities for women.

“The weather is cold, we face many problems, all should keep in mind the situation of women,” said Zaiba, one female factory worker.

“Big factories in Balkh should be reopened, because people face problems, unemployment has increased,” said Gull Chaman another woman.

“We call on the government to reopen factories in Balkh,” said Fatima.

Related Topics:Balkh factory Economic Crisis featured

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Export volume totals over $140 million in last month of 1402

Published

2 days ago

April 17, 2024

Ariana News

(Last Updated On: April 17, 2024)

The National Statistics and Information Authority (NSIA) confirmed Tuesday that in the last month of solar year 1402, (March 2024) Afghanistan’s exports totaled $141.1 million and imports totaled $789.6 million.

This was down from $174 million for exports in the same period in 1401. However, imports increased by $99.2 million in 1402, up from $690.4 million.

Most exports in the last month of 1402 went to Pakistan, India and the United Arab Emirates, while in the last month of 1401 exports went to Pakistan, India and China.

Business

Afghanistan-Kazakhstan chamber of commerce opens in Herat

Published

4 days ago

April 15, 2024

Ariana News

(Last Updated On: April 15, 2024)

The Ministry of Interior said the governor of Herat province Islam Jar met with Alim Khan Yasin Gildaye, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Afghanistan, to discuss various issues around trade.

According to the ministry, the two sides discussed the expansion of trade facilities, increasing the volume of trade exchanges between traders of the two countries, reducing customs tariffs, solving the challenges of traders and issuing visas to them.

The Afghanistan-Kazakhstan Chamber of Commerce has been opened in Herat in order to facilitate and increase trade between the two countries.

Business

Afghanistan reaches self-sufficiency in production of 133 items: MoIC

Published

6 days ago

April 13, 2024

Ariana News

(Last Updated On: April 13, 2024)

The Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MoIC) says Afghanistan has reached self-sufficiency in 45 sectors and the production of 133 items, and that the ministry is striving to change Afghanistan from an importing country to an exporting one.

The ministry officials said that for this purpose, supporting domestic products and attracting investment is essential.

The ministry’s spokesman Abdul Salam Jawad Akhundzada emphasized increasing the use of domestic goods and products in government and national projects and added that efforts have also begun to find a market for domestic products inside and outside the country.

“We have reached self-sufficiency in 133 items of production, which is 45 sectors, and also we reached the capacity of semi-self-sufficiency in 95 items of production, which is 27 sectors,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Chamber of Industries and Mines (ACIM) says over the past two and a half years, more attention has been paid to the development of domestic production and it is also expanding.

The chamber officials stressed expanding the culture of using domestic products in government projects.

“I think that the government is one of the biggest consumers in the market if it uses domestic products in all its development projects,” said Abdul Nasir Rashtia, a member of ACIM.

Economic experts also said that if the use of domestic products in government projects increases, Afghanistan will quickly move towards economic independence.