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The leadership of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI), including Mr. Mohammad Younus Mohmand, First Vice Chairman of ACCI; Mr. Khairuddin Mayel Ahmadi, Deputy Commercial of ACCI; Mr. Sultan Mohammad Safi, and Mr. Khanjan Alokozay, members of the ACCI Board, along with Mr. Gul Murad Arab, President of the Southeastern Provinces Fruit and Vegetables Union, and Mr. Sardar Wali Pashtun, President of the Pine Nut Union, met with Ms. Rosa Otunbayeva, the Head of UNAMA in Afghanistan, at UNAMA’s headquarters. Ms. Dinay Boggs, UNAMA’s Economic Advisor; Mr. Dmitry, UNAMA Office Head; and Mr. Abubakr, UNAMA’s Technical Officer, were also present from the UNAMA side.

Ms. Otunbayeva welcomed the ACCI leadership delegation to UNAMA headquarters and commended the success of the third round of the Imam Abu Hanifa National and International Exhibition. She described the exhibition as a significant achievement for Afghanistan’s private sector, expressing satisfaction with the active participation of men, women, and school students, and emphasized UNAMA’s commitment to ensuring the exhibition’s international recognition by coordinating with visiting organizations.

Ms. Otunbayeva highlighted the important role of the private sector in Afghanistan's economic growth and humanitarian support and mentioned the formation of a working group in Doha to support Afghanistan’s private sector. She assured that UNAMA, in cooperation with ACCI, is working to address issues related to banking and other challenges faced by the private sector through this working group.

Mr. Mohammad Younus Mohmand expressed appreciation to Ms. Otunbayeva for providing an opportunity to hear about the private sector’s issues and emphasized Afghanistan’s commitment to maintaining positive economic and trade relations with the world. He shared details about the audio message from the Office of the Prime Minister during the closing ceremony of the third Imam Abu Hanifa National and International Exhibition, which was aimed at supporting the private sector and ACCI, and called for friendly economic relations between Afghanistan and the world while safeguarding national interests.

Mr. Mohmand explained that Afghanistan’s banking issues are leading to the conversion of legal money into informal channels, which significantly impacts the country’s private sector. He welcomed the establishment of the Doha working group to find solutions to Afghan traders' problems and stressed the importance of highlighting the ACCI’s role in this group. The First Vice Chairman of ACCI also praised Afghanistan’s achievements in eradicating poppy cultivation, ensuring nationwide security, and reducing administrative corruption over the past three years and urged the United Nations to support farmers with alternative crop options.

Mr. Khanjan Alokozay described UNAMA’s office as a common home for people around the world and Afghanistan and assured of ACCI’s efforts in controlling the prices of essential goods and other necessities in Afghanistan.

Mr. Alokozay addressed key issues Afghan traders face, including non-payment by international organizations for completed projects, lack of visa issuance by certain countries for Afghan traders, closure of borders, and increased tariffs on certain Afghan exports, especially agricultural products, by Pakistan. He requested Ms. Otunbayeva’s cooperation in these matters.

Mr. Khairuddin Mayel Ahmadi provided information on the activities of the private sector despite existing challenges and requested that Ms. Otunbayeva facilitate greater visa support in cooperation with European and Asian countries to enable Afghan traders to increase exports of Afghanistan’s dried fruits to these markets, particularly India.

Mr. Sultan Mohammad Safi noted that Afghanistan has overcome numerous challenges, and in this critical period, further support and cooperation from international organizations for Afghanistan’s private sector are essential.

At the end, Mr. Abubakr, the UNAMA Technical Representative, provided an explanation about the activities of the Doha working group, which will focus on four main areas: job creation by the private sector, providing financial assistance to entrepreneurs, establishing connections between the private sector and international markets, and collaborating with local authorities for Afghanistan’s trade development.

Finally, Ms. Rosa Otunbayeva affirmed UNAMA’s full support for the proposals presented by the ACCI leadership, adding that she would discuss visa facilitation for Afghan traders with the authorities in India. She also encouraged the ACCI leadership to engage with international organizations, particularly SAARC, ECO, and other Islamic countries, to help

Monday, 23rd of Mezan, 1403 / 11th of Rabi' al-Thani, 1444 / October 14, 2024

Accepting the official invitation of Uzbekistan, Mr. Khairuddin Mael Ahmadi the Deputy Commercial of the ACCI led a commercial delegation including Mr. Zeyauddin Achakzai member of the BoD of the ACCI, Mr. Mirzaman Popal head of the Export and Investment Department of the ACCI, Mr. Engineer Jaleel Harif the Vice-Chairman of the Kabul Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI), Mawlawe Yaqoob Sharafat Chairman of the Logar Chamber of Commerce and Investment (LCCI), and several traders and investors, and participated in Uzbekistan’s Expo 2024 and visited its manufacturing companies.

In a side meeting of this Expo, the Vice-Chairman of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Uzbekistan welcomed the Afghan commercial delegation and discussed different avenues of trade expansion, provision of the required facilities, and fostering mutual trade and transit relations.

Mr. Khairuddin Mael Ahmadi representing the Afghan Private Sector said, “We aspire to enhance and promote mutual trade and investment initiatives and would like Uzbek investors to consider investment opportunities within the Afghan Market”.

Representing Afghan traders and transport companies, Mr. Jaleel Harif and Muhammad Nabi Afghan explained the existing trade and transit issues and shared their valuable solutions with the relevant Uzbek authorities.

Consequently, many contracts were signed in the hygienic equipment and food sectors.

April 25th, 2024

 The leadership of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI), including Mr. Tawakal Ahmadyar, Chairman of ACCI; Mr. Mohammad Younus Mohmand, First Vice Chairman; Mr. Sayed Javid Burhan, Head of International Relations; Mr. Sultan Mohammad Safi, Mr. Khanjan Alokozay, Mr. Sayed Parwiz Sadat Hufyani, and Mr. Ahmad Shekib  Ahmadyar, board members, along with Mr. Sayed Jamil Sadat, Head of the Kabul Chamber of Commerce; Mr. Ahmad Shah Hakimi, First Vice Chairman of the Kabul Chamber; Mr. Mirza Aman Popal, Acting Deputy of Finance and Administration; and Mr. Zalghai Azimi, Head of Azimi Group of Companies and BKB, visited the Iranian product booths. They held discussions with Mr. Syadat, Head of the Iran-Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce; Mr. Nourizadeh, Deputy Economic Governor of Razavi Khorasan Province; and their team on expanding trade relations between the two countries.

Mr. Tawakal Ahmadyar welcomed Mr. Syadat, Mr. Nourizadeh, and their team to Afghanistan, shared information on the country’s current opportunities, and requested Mr. Syadat to encourage Iranian investors to invest in various sectors in Afghanistan, especially in the mining sector.

Mr. Mohammad Younus Mohmand emphasized the importance of expanding economic and trade relations while safeguarding the national interests of both countries. He suggested forming a joint working committee to identify and address the challenges faced by traders from both sides and shared Afghan traders’ issues with Mr. Syadat, requesting solutions.

Mr. Sayed Javid Burhan highlighted Iran as a good friend with shared religious and cultural ties, as well as economic and trade relations with Afghanistan. He emphasized the significant role of the joint chamber in strengthening exchanges between the two nations.

Mr. Syadat assured his cooperation in encouraging Iranian traders to invest in various sectors in Afghanistan and emphasized the importance of expanding the activities of the joint chamber in both countries.

Monday, 16th of Mezan, 1403

In a significant diplomatic development, ACCI’s Vice-Chairman Mr. Muhammad Younus Muhmand along with Mr. Mueen Khawafi Afghan Commercial Attaché in Iran, Mr. Muhammad Sabir Latifi President of the Afghanistan International Exhibition Center, and Dr. Hesamuddin Hamrah senior advisor of the ACCI met with Dr. Musave Iran’s Deputy Minister of Commerce, Industry, and Mining.

Mr. Muhmand addressed Iran as a good and ancient neighbor of Afghanistan and acclaimed its support of the Afghan immigrants living there. He pointed out Iranian investments in Afghanistan as lower than expected, considering the geographical nearness and shared customs and traditions.
He also explained numerous investment opportunities in energy production, mining, agriculture, and health sectors and requested Iranian traders and investors to invest in these sectors.
Providing Mr. Musave with comprehensive information about the significance of the Wakhan land corridor, Mr. Muhmand insisted on creating commercial zones and a joint transport system that can lead to mutual trade promotion. He, furthermore, ensured ACCI’s inclusive cooperation in organizing joint exhibitions and facilitating an Iranian official trip to Afghanistan to monitor and evaluate the Afghan market for investment goals and objectives.

After listening to Mr. Muhmand’s speech and suggestions, Mr. Musave said that the Private Sector plays a pivotal role in countries’ development and ensured that he would encourage Iranian traders and investors to invest in Afghanistan.

December 28, 2023

ACCI’s Chairman Mr. Tawakal Ahmadyar, in the presence of ACCI’s acting CEO Mr. Mirwais Hotak, head of International Relations of the ACCI, and head of the Public Relations, holds an online meeting with the British Chargé d'Affaires to Afghanistan Mr. Robert Chatterton Dickson and discusses the challenges that the Afghan Private Sector is facing and the current economic situation of Afghanistan.

Mr. Ahmadyar said, “Challenges in banking and finance sectors, visas not being issued for Afghan traders by some countries, lack of financial support, lack of the interest of the donors to execute the commercial and economic plans of the Afghan Private Sector, and international community and global banks not completing their incomplete projects are challenges that have weakened the Afghan Private Sector and eliminated employment opportunities.”

He also added that to solve these problems, they have had many meetings with governmental authorities and will continue to do so. Meanwhile, they urge the international community to increase its support of the Afghan Private Sector.

Additionally, elaborating on the existing trade and transit problems with Pakistan, Mr. Ahmadyar said, “Officials in Karachi Port have increased insurance on Afghan commercial commodities, banned 212 imported items, and detained hundreds of containers which leads to the disastrous loss of the Afghan traders and investors.”

“Blemished economic and trade relations with the international community and countries of the region have caused numerous concerns among the Afghan Private Sector, but strengthening them will enable us to normally continue our export and import processes,” said Mirwais Hotak.

Mr. Dickson, besides appreciating the meeting and declaring it as imperative, said that he had had many trips to Afghanistan but in this meeting, many crucial and essential issues were brought up that need to be addressed as soon as possible.

He, furthermore, underscored the inclusion of women in economic and trade initiatives and requested ACCI’s Chairman to facilitate effective communications in this regard.

In conclusion, Mr. Dickson extended a formal invitation to Mr. Tawakal Ahmadyar to participate in the upcoming gathering organized in Doha and represent the Afghan Private Sector.

February 5th, 2024