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Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI)’s First Deputy of the Board of Directors Mr. Muhammad Younus Muhmand, Minister of Industry and Commerce H.E Nisar Ahmad Faizi Ghoryani, Director-General of the customs Ms. Amina Ahmadi, Governmental officials, and members of the Private Sector attended the International Customs Celebration Day and had a discussion about the existing problems of the traders in the customs of the country.

H.E Ghoryani said, “In joint-cooperation and coordination with the Private Sector, Ministry of Industry and Commerce always strives to put an end to the problems of the traders and provide the required facilities.”

He, furthermore, said that customs play an important role in the increase of internal products and revenue.

Mr. Muhmand congratulated the participants for the International Customs Day and said that customs play an important role in the increase of the revenue of the country and results in quality goods to be imported.

He added that the existing corruption in customs of the country prevents legal trade, increase in revenue, and economic development and stability.

He, furthermore, said if well-qualified, well-experienced, and honest people are recruited in the customs, it will not only lead to economic stability but also prevents the import of poor-quality goods and that ACCI is committed to support legal trade and help remove corruption.

Governmental Officials and members of the Private Sector also expressed their concerns and put their suggestions forward regarding the mentioned issues.

On January 27^th, Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI)’s Chief Executive Officer Mr. Sayed Zaman Hashimi, ACCI’s Policy and Technical Deputy Mr. Shafiqullah Atayee, representatives of the international non-governmental organizations, industrial, commercial and productive companies, governmental agencies, and the Private Sector attended the meeting chaired by the Minister of Industry and Commerce H.E Nisar Ahmad Faizi Ghoryani and created a working group for the improvements in trade.  

H.E Ghoryani said, “CORONA VIRUS has affected the world especially, Afghanistan very negatively and has caused the industrial, commercial, economic, and transit activities to stop.”

He added that this working group has been especially created to expand the Private Sector, point out opportunities and help provide legal solutions for the existing problems and challenges of the Private Sector. 

Mr. Hashimi appreciated H.E Ghoryani’s cooperation in providing the required facilities for the Private Sector, eliminating the existing problems of the Private Sector, and overcoming challenges in transit during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He also asked the Finance, Agriculture, and Industry and Commerce Ministries to help provide the required facilities in transport-transit on regional and international levels.

He, furthermore, insisted that coordination between the Private Sector and Governmental Agencies is crucial for the increase in investment and economic stability.

This working group is supposed to have meetings with the Private Sector, financial agencies, ministries, and governmental and international organizations on a monthly basis and report back to the high economic council of Afghanistan.

Representatives of the commercial, industrial and productive companies said, “The support of the government from our activities results in the increase of the internal products and exports.”

Donor countries said, “We are committed to providing financial and technical assistance to the COVID-19 affected companies, the Private Sector, and the Ministry of Industry and Commerce.”

This working group is supposed to work in the sectors of the rug, saffron, cloth, and precious stones and would provide the required facilities in packaging, exports, and internal products.

Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI)’s First Deputy of the board of directors Mr. Haji Muhammad Younus Muhmand, ACCI’s Chief Executive Officer Mr. Sayed Zaman Hashimi, ACCI’s Policy and Technical Deputy Mr. Shafiqullah Atayee, Afghan Ambassador for Australia Mr. Waheedullah Waisi, Afghan Ambassador for Indonesia Mr. Faizullah Zaki, traders and economic experts had an online meeting and expressed their thoughts accordingly.

Mr. Hashimi said, “Afghanistan has experienced barter economy in the past but we would like to have created a working group from the members of the governmental agencies and the Private Sector to further promote and enhance barter economy in Afghanistan.”  

Mr. Waisi said, “Barter Economy is quite useful for countries full of natural resources like Afghanistan and Afghan and Australian governments are committed to taking considerable measures in how to; promote and enhance barter economy in Afghanistan.”

Mr. Zaki said, “If Afghan Government signs the Indonesian MoU about barter economy, Indonesia is willing to have trade with the Afghan Government using barter economy.”

At the end of the meeting, economic expert Mr. Sawiz Sawizyar, said, “We can have trade with China using barter economy which could lead not only to the economic stability but would also provide numerous facilities to Afghan traders.”

ACCI’s Chief Executive Officer Mr. Sayed Zaman Hashimi, ACCI’s Policy and Technical Deputy Mr. Shafiqullah Atayee, representatives of the Ministry of Finance, Industry and Commerce, City Construction Department, Municipality, Judicial, Directorate of Passport, attended the meeting of The Executive Committee for the Private Sector Development (PriSEC) chaired by the President of the Investment Facilities Department of the Presidential House Ms. Foruzan Faqiri and had a discussion about providing more facilities for the investors of the country.  

Mr. Hashimi said, “The government of Afghanistan is supposed to provide more facilities for the investors and traders of the country which leads to the development of the economy of the country.”

He also asked PriSEC’s representatives to accelerate the process of bringing amendments to the Law of Investment and enhance the coordination between governmental organizations and the Private Sector.

Governmental and Private Sectors representatives insisted that amendments to the Law of Investment must provide more facilities for the investors and should create more job opportunities for the unemployed.   

At the end of the meeting, all participants insisted that the achievements of the investment should be preserved, good policies should be adopted to promote investment, and coordination should be enhanced between the relevant organizations.

Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation Minister H.E Anwarul Haq Ahadi, Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI)’s Chief Executive Officer Mr. Sayed Zaman Hashimi, representatives of the Industrial, Commercial and Manufacturing companies, members of the Private Sector and Governmental agencies attended the First Saffron Exhibition organized in Kabul.

H.E Ahadi said, “This year, Afghanistan has produced 21 tons of saffron, and the Ministry of Agriculture, Livestock and Irrigation is committed to improving the quality, process, and packaging of saffron.”

Mr. Hashimi thanked saffron producing companies for their standardized packaging of saffron and expressed his concerns about Iranian saffron trafficking and said that it has negative effects on the internal Afghan products.

He also asked the Ministries of Industry and Commerce, Finance and Agriculture to provide the required facilities to export Afghan saffron to Indonesia, Malaysia, American and European countries. 

He, furthermore, said that in the first quarter of the current solar year we had 40 million dollars exports, in the third quarter of the solar year 800 million dollars and we hope that at the end of the current solar year the amount of our exports will reach to one billion dollars.

Acting President of the Finance and Administrative Directorate of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce Mr. Mustafa Majedayar said that they have made and shared their best plots for finding markets for the Afghan internal products especially, saffron.

From all over Afghanistan, 40 industrial, commercial, and manufacturing companies exhibited their products.