Commodities demand from Afghanistan enhanced by 300%: Nasir Khan
Syed Ali Shah :
Commodities demand from Afghanistan has enhanced by 300 % during the last two weeks from Pakistan. This was revealed by Vice-President Federation of Pakistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries, Nasir Khan while talking to Quetta Voice in an exclusive interview.
Mr. Khan mentioned that demand for flour, ghee, sugar, pulses, spices, and rice continues to grow in Afghanistan recently. “Business community is trying hard to meet growing commodities demands from the neighboring country”, he said.
Customs sources at Pak-Afghan border Chaman also endorse the revelation and say that the volume of trade between the two countries has increased. “Smooth and uninterrupted trade at the border nowadays”, a senior administration official said. He requested anonymity.
Mr. Khan welcomes trade in local currency with Afghanistan
The Vice-President of the Chamber also welcomed trade with Afghanistan in local currency and termed it a good initiative to promote bilateral trade between the two countries. “This was one of the longstanding demands of the traders’ community”, Mr. Khan stated.
According to the Afghanistan Bureau of Statistics (NCIA), the total value of Afghanistan’s imports in 2020 was about 8 billion, of which India accounted for one-fifth, after Iran, Pakistan, China, and Uzbekistan.
Now there is a business vacuum in Afghanistan since Indians have left the Afghan market. “Pakistan has to evolve a better mechanism after the departure of India from Afghanistan”, Nasir Khan added.
Former Afghan government discourages Pakistani traders
He said during the last two decades Pakistani traders and businessmen were discouraged by former Afghan governments. This is time for Pakistan to facilitate the traders’ community to reach out to the Afghan market, he said.
In May this year, Federal Minister for Industries, Razzaq Dawood said that the volume of trade between Pakistan and Afghanistan was increased by 15 percent.
Junaid Ismail, president of the Pak-Afghan Joint Chamber of Commerce, says tensions in diplomatic relations with the former Afghan government and technical issues have reduced Pakistan’s imports to Afghanistan by 50 percent. Now, if the right and timely steps are taken, the trade target of five billion dollars between the two countries can be achieved.
