Business
India launches ‘air travel bubble’ with Afghanistan during pandemic
India has established an air transport bubble with Afghanistan enabling Indian airlines and Afghanistan’s Ariana Airline to operate services between the two countries.
In an advisory posted on their website Tuesday, India’s Ministry of Civil Aviation stated there will however be some restrictions.
Those who will be able to fly to India from Afghanistan include Indians stranded in Afghanistan, all Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cardholders in possession of Afghanistan passports and foreigners, including diplomats, holding valid visas issued by an Indian Mission under the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) guidelines dated 30 June 2020.
From India to Afghanistan, passengers allowed to travel are Afghan nationals/residents and foreign nationals in possession of a valid Afghan visa.
Secondly, any Indian national holding any type of valid visa from Afghanistan and destined for the country will be allowed to travel.
However, the advisory stated that the onus will also be on airlines to ensure there are no travel restrictions for Indian nationals to enter Afghanistan before issuing a ticket or boarding pass.
Transport or travel bubbles are temporary arrangements between two countries aimed at restarting commercial passenger services when regular international flights are suspended as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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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