Abdul Karim Fateh, Technical Deputy Minister of Public Works, says survey work for the construction of a road, known as the Wakhan Economic Corridor, in Badakhshan province has been completed, and work is now underway to design the new transit route.

Fateh stated the ministry is ready to begin practical work on the corridor once the budget is allocated.

According to him, once the road has been completed, Afghanistan will be connected to China by land. He also said the road will be used to transit goods between the two countries.

“China is a major economic country in the world, and fortunately, we share a border with this country. We want to rebuild the road that connects to the Chinese border, so that our imports and exports with China can begin by land,” he added.

Currently, trade between Afghanistan and China amounts to $1.1 billion, and once this transit route is operational, trade between the two countries is expected to expand.

Mirwais Hajizadeh, an economic expert, said: “My suggestion is that this Wakhan route should be created as soon as possible, and more focus should be put on it to reduce the transportation costs of imports and exports for traders and the private sector.”

“In the past, if a container of pine nuts was exported to China via air corridors, the cost was more than sixty to $65,000. If we export through Wakhan, our costs will decrease by 90 percent, and the cost will not exceed $5,000.”

Economic experts also believe that if Afghanistan is connected to China by land, several other countries will also transfer their goods to China via the corridor.

Currently, meanwhile, Afghanistan imports Chinese goods through various routes, and from time to time, Pakistan creates issues that result in heavy losses for Afghan traders.

Local officials in Panjshir have announced the discovery of over 1,600 emerald mines in the province, with extraction currently underway at 600 sites.

Over the past year, the extraction of emeralds from 600 mines in Panjshir has yielded 100,000 carats, valued at approximately $6.9 million.

Panjshir Governor Mohammad Agha Hakim expressed optimism that the development of the mining sector will provide significant job opportunities, particularly for the province’s youth.

Economic experts believe that increased investment in large-scale mining could create tens of thousands of direct and indirect jobs, helping to reduce unemployment.

Meanwhile, Panjshir residents are calling on the Islamic Emirate to expand mining contracts in the province, highlighting the area's wealth in emeralds, iron, lead, zinc, and gold.

Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar says the Islamic Emirate has provided land, privileges, and facilities for industrialists and returning investors in industrial zones.

Speaking at a conference in Kabul on Thursday titled “Calls for Investment in Afghanistan”, Baradar said that the law for industrial zones had been signed with an introduction, six chapters, 11 sections, and 67 articles.

"I urge industrialists and investors to transfer their industries and investments to the country so that they can fulfill their responsibility in the development of the country's industry,” said Baradar.

He stated that the IEA has increased customs duties on imported items that are produced domestically and meet the needs of the people, in order to support local production.

Baradar added that all government departments have been instructed to prioritize domestic products in their purchases.

Meanwhile, the acting Minister of Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi also announced at the conference that 160,000 hectares of land has been allocated to industrialists, and 1,200 investors have invested $500 million in various sectors.

Azizi said: “We have around 1,200 companies requesting land, and approximately $500 million is being invested by them in Afghanistan."

According to him, returning industrialists and traders are exempt from customs duties on machinery and equipment imports, and at their request, two-year visas will be issued for their foreign technical workers and engineers.

The acting Minister of Economy Din Mohammad Hanif also said: “If Afghan investors residing abroad bring half of their investment back to the country, Afghanistan will become self-sufficient."