Business
ISO Licence Permits Afghan Saffron To Access Int. Markets: ACCI
Afghanistan’s Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI) officials said on Tuesday that Afghan saffron still cannot access the international markets as majority of saffron producers in the country have not been certified by the International Standards Organization (ISO) yet.
The officials urged the Afghan Ministry of Agriculture Irrigation and Livestock (MAIL) to take practical steps to remove the barrier in front of Afghan saffron producers.
They have also urged one of the other barriers which stop Afghan Saffron to reach to International consumers is that the packing of Afghan Saffron isn’t as standard as it should be.
Deputy of chamber of commerce Khanjan Alkozai said,” The majority of the Afghanistan products is facing problems especially Afghan Saffron, We have best consumers and customers in Saudi Arabia, United Arabic Emirates.”
Receiving the International Standards Organization selling license for Afghan Saffron is the responsibility of the Ministry of Agriculture and livestock which guarantees the Afghanistan products to be sold in the International markets officials in chamber of commerce and industry mentioned.
Officials in Ministry of Agriculture and livestock said efforts are underway to standardize the Afghanistan products specially receiving of the International Standards Organization (ISO) permit letter.
Ministry of Agriculture and livestock Spokesman Lutfullah Rashed said,” We export Afghanistan’s saffron to 16 countries in the world, Last year farmers planted one thousand acres of lands, but this year the figure jumped up to one thousand 150 acres of lands in 34 provinces.”
The efforts come after that Afghanistan saffron rated best in the world for third consecutive year by international institute based in Brussels.
Saffron was brought to Afghanistan as good alternative for poppy and Narcotic drugs years back.
Reported by: Aslam Hejaab
The Ministry of Commerce and Industry said Thursday it has signed cooperation agreements with ten institutions to support the development of small and medium-sized enterprises.
Nooruddin Azizi, Acting Minister of Commerce and Industry, said: “In the implementation of projects, we must pay special attention to our activities and actions and try to make useful use of the projects according to the requirements and benefit the beneficiaries.”
These ten institutions are to present their projects, the total value of which is around over $1.1 million. The projects will be carried out in Kabul, Baghlan, Ghor, Herat, Logar, Nangarhar, Balkh, Badakhshan and Jawzjan provinces and provide direct jobs for about 1,000.
To date, the ministry has signed MoUs for 72 projects in total, collectively valued at about $53.6 million.
These agreements have been signed with domestic and foreign companies for the establishment of small and medium-sized businesses.
In accordance with the principles and laws of the Islamic Emirate and prioritizing the implementation of projects for immigrants and returnees and internally displaced people, the ministry said 635,865 people will benefit through jobs directly and over 4.3 million will benefit indirectly in 25 provinces once these projects are implemented.
The National Statistics and Information Authority (NSIA) confirmed Tuesday that in the last month of solar year 1402, (March 2024) Afghanistan’s exports totaled $141.1 million and imports totaled $789.6 million.
This was down from $174 million for exports in the same period in 1401. However, imports increased by $99.2 million in 1402, up from $690.4 million.
Most exports in the last month of 1402 went to Pakistan, India and the United Arab Emirates, while in the last month of 1401 exports went to Pakistan, India and China.
The Ministry of Interior said the governor of Herat province Islam Jar met with Alim Khan Yasin Gildaye, Ambassador of Kazakhstan to Afghanistan, to discuss various issues around trade.
According to the ministry, the two sides discussed the expansion of trade facilities, increasing the volume of trade exchanges between traders of the two countries, reducing customs tariffs, solving the challenges of traders and issuing visas to them.
The Afghanistan-Kazakhstan Chamber of Commerce has been opened in Herat in order to facilitate and increase trade between the two countries.
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