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ACCI’s Vice-Chairman Mr. Muhammad Younus Muhmand, President to the Secretariat of the ACCI Mr. Khan Muhammad Sarfaraz Baz, Financial President to the ACCI Mr. Sherin Agha Sakhi, and Khan Jan Alokozay and Zakaria Baryali members to the Board of Directors of the ACCI met with the Iranian Ambassador to Afghanistan Mr. Bahadar Ameneyan and his assistant Mr. Sayed Hassan Murtazawe and talked about the recent commercial and transit issues.

Mr. Muhmand said, “Current stable security situation paves the way to external investments in Afghanistan and leads to better trade and transit relations with the neighboring countries and the world.”
He also pointed out the existing obstacles in dispatching commercial commodities to Iran and asked Mr. Ameneyan to eradicate these obstacles as soon as possible.

Mr. Khan Muhammad Sarfaraz Baz said, “We strongly support any fresh approach which could result in better trade and transit relations and organizing joint commercial exhibitions.”

Mr. Ameneyan said, “We are willing to establish frontier installations and invite the Afghan Private Sector to invest in it.”
He, furthermore, said that we are committed to strengthening mutual commercial relations and providing the required facilities.

ACCI’s Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Shafiqullah Atayee, ACCI’s BDS head of department, and ACCI’s advisers met with the International Labor Organization (ILO)’s officer in charge Ms. Margaret Reade Rounds and Amal Habibi chairman of the National Union of Afghanistan’s Workers and Employees (NUAWE) and expressed ACCI’s interests and commitment in business development and child labor prevention.

Mr. Atayee welcomed the guests from ILO and NUAWE and pointed out the significance of ILO’s technical support and provision of the required facilities in regard to creating a better work environment and preventing child labor in Afghanistan.

Mr. Atayee also indicated that ACCI and ILO has always played a vital role in job creating, providing legal solutions for the problems of the traders and investors, and helping business sector to reach the peak of success.

He, furthermore, insisted on organizing follow-up meetings for a better coordination and cooperation.  
Ms. Margaret said that Afghanistan is experiencing an unfavorable economic situation, but it would not stop them from implementing humanitarian and lifesaving projects in Afghanistan.

She, moreover, said that the UN has extended the Decent Work Country Program (DWCP) project for the next six months and intends to apply a transitional engagement framework that mainly focuses on the following issues:
•    Providing humanitarian and lifesaving assistance to those in need and ensuring businesses do not fall down
•    Saving livelihood and supporting the Private Sector in order to ensure business activities go well
•    Strengthening employers and workers system in order to ensure child labor elimination

Mr. Samadi said, “Afghanistan especially business sector endured a lot of economic loss in the last 4 months. The children began to earn a living for their families through hard work, but fortunately, the International Community still remembers us and continues to work hard to support us, without letting us lose hope.  

At the end, Mr. Atayee and representatives of NUAWE requested ILO’s officer in charge to set up a working relationship between MoLSA, NUAWE, and ACCI in order to work better together and achieve their shared goals and objectives.

ACCI’s Vice-Chairman Mr. Muhammad Younus Muhmand, Chairman to the Secretariat of the Board of Directors Khan Muhammad Sarfaraz Baz, Sayed Parwiz Sadat Hofyani member to the Board of Directors, Turkish Ambassador to Afghanistan Mr. Cihad Erginay, and Turkish commercial attaché Mr. Bozat paid a visit to the Afghan Internal Products and handicrafts Exhibition.

Mr. Muhmand appreciated the consistent cooperation of the Turkish Embassy to Afghanistan and the humanitarian and life-saving assistance provided by the noble country Turkey to the poor and needy in Afghanistan.

Mr. Muhmand suggested online and in-person conferences with the Turkish Commercial Chamber and business travel of the Afghan and Turkish delegations to both countries.   

Mr. Baz said, “Turkish visas not being issued to Afghan traders is one of the biggest obstacles on the way to better commercial relations and we kindly ask the Turkish Embassy to eradicate this problem as soon as possible.”
He, furthermore, asked the Turkish traders and investors to invest in Afghanistan.

Mr. Cihad Erginay said, “Strengthening mutual commercial relations is one of our priorities and Turkish investors are eager to invest in Afghanistan, however, the Afghan government and Private Sector should provide Turkish and international investors with the required investment facilities.”
He, also said, “The Turkish Embassy is planning to start issuing visas to Afghans in Kabul and subsequently in provinces.”

ACCI’s First Deputy to the Board of Directors Mr. Muhammad Younus Muhmand, ACCI’s member to the Board of Directors Mr. Khan Jan Alokozay, Nangarhar Chamber of Commerce and Investment (NCCI)’s a member to the Board of Directors Dr. Mukhles Ahmad, and Afghanistan – Pakistan Joint Chamber’s CEO Mr. Naqibullah Safi attended the meeting organized by OESP and CRSS and delivered their speeches.

Representatives of Pakistan’s Private Sector, representatives of Pakistan’s parliament, Pakistani social activists and journalists, and representatives of the ex-Afghan parliament also participated in this meeting.

Mr. Muhmand and Mr. Khan Jan Alokozay discussed the adverse effects of frozen money on the Afghan economy, existing trade and transit problems between Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the existing problems for the Torkham land route passengers.
Mr. Muhmand and Mr. Khan Jan Alokozay asked the international community to release Afghan frozen money and insisted on trade promotion and investment opportunities.

All participants insisted on the following things:
•    Afghanistan – Pakistan economic and political relations should be improved
•    The required facilities have to be provided in issuing visas
•    Commercial relations have to be strengthened
•    Tariff problems have to be solved
•    The APTTA contract has to be renewed
•    Technical committees have to be established in borders
•    And the required facilities in tourism and medical sectors have to be provided

ACCI’s Vice-Chairman Mr. Muhammad Younus Mohmand, First Deputy to the Prime Minister of the Afghanistan Islamic Emirates Mr. Abdul Salam Hanafi, Acting Minister of the Industry and Commerce of the AIE Mr. Nooruddin Azizi, and other high-ranking officials met with the National Security Adviser of Pakistan Mr. Mueed Yousuf, the Special Representative of the Prime Minister of Pakistan for Afghanistan Mr. Sadiq Khan, and Pakistan’s ambassador to Afghanistan Mr. Mansoor Naeem and discussed the existing trade and transit issues and ways how to address them.

Mr. Mohmand pointed out the precarious economic situation of Afghanistan and insisted upon eradicating the existing trade and transit problems between the two countries such as Electronic Import Form EIF and other issues.

At the end of the meeting, both sides agreed upon the following issues to not let this unprecedented precarious economic situation perpetuate any longer.
•    Abolishing the Electronic Import Form (EIF) for the exports of Afghanistan imposed by the Central Bank of Pakistan.
•    Until national banks resume their activities, as usual, barter trade will be done between both sides.
•    Pakistan will exempt 18 export items of Afghanistan from the tariff.
•    Both countries are supposed to mainstream their policies for a better promotion in joint investment.
•    Afghan traders have to be provided with immediate and required facilities in the port of Karachi.
•    An effective mechanism should be used to dispatch commodities to both countries.