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A Chinese investor launched the first exhibition of Chinese products in Kabul for the first time. A number of Chinese and Chinese-Afghan joint ventures showcased their products at this exhibition.

Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI)’s First Deputy to the Board of Directors Mr. Muhammad Younus Muhmand said, “Afghan traders and investors still encounter many problems in getting Chinese visas. Therefore, we kindly ask the Chinese government to provide the required facilities in regard to this problem.”
He, furthermore, said that Chinese investors are eager to invest in Afghanistan.

Mr. Youmeng Hoi, a person who was in charge of launching the exhibition said that a number of Chinese investors have come here to invest in Afghanistan.

Chinese traders and investors said that if the required facilities of investing are provided for them, they are willing to invest in fields of construction paints, power cables, and plastics.

Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI)'s Fist Deputy to the Board of Directors Mr. Muhammad Younus Muhmand met with the Turkish Ambassador to Afghanistan Mr. Uzhan Urtughrul and had discussion about the expansion of commercial relations, problems of Afghan traders, and joint cooperation.

Mr. Muhmand thanked the Turkish Embassy for inviting him to the Embassy and talked about the expansion of commercial relations especially, the issue of air corridors, facilitating the export of Afghan products to Turkey and to Europe through Turkey and asked the Turkish Embassy for providing the required facilities and coordination in the section of Education. Moreover, he stated visa problems in Paktia, Paktika, Khost, and Loy Nangarhar provinces and asked the Embassy to provide the required facilities and legal solutions to this matter.

Turkey's Ambassador to Afghanistan Mr. Urtughrul, talked about the historical and long-standing relations between Afghanistan and Turkey, and stressed the importance of developing trade and economic ties between the two countries. To eliminate Afghan traders’ problems and response to the suggestions of Mr. Muhmand, he promised to provide all kinds of cooperation.

Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI)’s Acting Chief Executive Officer Mr. Shafiqullah Atayee and Administrative and Financial Deputy of the Executive Board Mr. Mirwais Hotak met with the commercial attaché of the Roots of Peace and had a discussion about the expansion of commercial relations, exports increment, and joint cooperation.

Mr. Atayee welcomed the commercial attaché and provided information about the ACCI’s services and added that in order to promote business development and economic growth, the ACCI holds commercial meetings and organizes commercial exhibitions on regional and international levels.  
He, furthermore, added that ACCI is committed to facilitate the issuance of visas to traders, find solutions to the existing problems and challenges of traders in the field of exports and imports, provide certificate of origin for products and share the problems of the traders and investors with the relevant government agencies and take concrete steps to eliminate them.

Representatives of the Roots of Peace said, “In order to promote trade and economic growth, we are trying to market Afghan agricultural products such as spices, pine nuts and other new products in Russia, Saudi Arabia, India and other countries of the region and the world.”

They, furthermore, said, “In order to increase investment and pave the way for economic development, we plan to set up a business training incubation center to provide food security, economic planning, productivity growth, and business opportunities to businesses and business people. Introduce training programs for farmers under the headings of Good Cultivation and Good Yield. In addition, we are hosting regional and global trade shows and we need the support and cooperation of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment in this regard.

At the end of the meeting, Mr. Atayee and Mr. Mirwais Hotak, pledged their full support and cooperation to the Roots of Peace and called for the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding between ACCI and Roots of Peace.

ACCI’s Chairman Mr. Tawakal Ahmadyar, ACCI’s First Deputy to the board of directors Mr. Haji Muhammad Younus Muhmand, ACCI’s Commercial Deputy to the board of the directors Mr. Khairuddin Mael Ahmadi, head of the secretariat to the board of directors Khan Muhammad Sarfaraz Baz, head of the international relations of the board of directors Sayed Jawid Burhan, head of the finance of the board of directors Mr. Sherin Agha Sakhi, and Acting Chief Executive Officer Mr. Shafiqullah Atayee attended the fourteenth meeting of the Executive Committee and took decisions about important issues.

The items of the agenda were presented by Mr. Baz to the participants and after a detailed discussion on the structure of the ACCI, budget, land of Badakhshan Provincial Chamber, the law of the chambers and the existing problems and challenges of the chamber and other suggestions of the Executive and Director Board necessary decisions were made.

ACCI’s First Deputy to the board of directors Mr. Haji Muhammad Younus Muhmand, head of the secretariat of the board of directors Mr. Khan Muhammad Sarfaraz Baz, head of the finance of the board of directors Mr. Sherin Agha Sakhi, Ziauddin Achakzey and Ahmad Zia Azimi Shenozada members of the board of directors, investors and traders of the country met with the Acting Minister of Finance H.E Muhammad Khalid Painda and Customs Deputy Ms. Amena Ahmadi and had a discussion about the existing problems of the private sector.

Mr. Muhammad talked about the problems of traders importing spare parts, high tariffs on paper imports and non-payment to Kam Air for transporting goods to different parts of the world and asked the Ministry of Finance to provide legal solutions for these problems.

Mr. Muhammad Khalid Painda talked about the existing corruption and added that we want to separate real traders from commissioners and in collaboration with the ACCI, I want to address the problems of traders. He insisted that talks between the Ministry of Finance and the private sector should address the problems of the country's traders.
He, furthermore, promised to solve the problems of the airlines in a special meeting with the relevant governmental agencies.

Mr Khan Muhammad Sarfaraz Baz talked about the existing corruption, particularly customs, which has been caused a gap between the government and traders. He also said, “We want transparency in trade and customs tariffs and we are ready to cooperate with the Ministry of Finance and the Deputy Minister of Customs in this regard”.

Mr. Shafiqullah Atayee said that ACCI is willingly supporting private-sector-government dialogue to address the problems of the country's traders and assured that ACCI is ready for any kind of cooperation in this regard. He noted the achievements of the government and the private sector in exporting through the air corridor and the problems that have arisen in recent months due to non-payment of subsidies to some airlines, including Kam Air, Ariana, Turkish and Spacegate. The Ministry of Finance has been asked to co-operate in eradicating them.

Mr. Sherin Agha Sakhi insisted the importance of equitable implementation of the law in the country's customs and called for simplification of the process of payment of taxes and government revenue. He promised every kind of cooperation between businessmen and investors in law enforcement.

Some paper importers then expressed their concerns about the 20 percent increase in tariffs on paper imports, stressing that this would lead to a production monopoly by the manufacturing company, a shortage of paper in the market and higher prices.

Ms. Amena Ahmadi said that the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) is a member of Tariff Determination Committee and the increase in customs tariffs on paper is being considered by the Tariff Determination Committee, which is then approved by the government.