Business
Sher Khan Bandar Border Crossing Closed By Tajikistan: ACCI
The Sher Khan Bandar border crossing has been closed to Afghan traders and passengers since five days ago, the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) said.
ACCI has declared that Tajikistan has blocked the border crossing due to the killing of several Tajik soldiers in a clash with the smugglers in the area.
However, the main and real reason for its closure is unclear so far.
“The reason is still unknown. As we informed, a number of Tajik soldiers were killed in the border crossing a few days ago,” said Gholam Rabani, the provincial council member of Kunduz province.
According to ACCI, Afghan traders lose thousands of dollars each day regarding this issue.
“They have stopped exports, but imports are still underway,” said Nematullah Teymori, spokesman of Kunduz governor.
In the meantime, the Ministry of Finance rejected the closure of Sher Khan Bandar border crossing.
“Sher Khan Bandar border crossing is open to all vehicles. It only closed for passengers since last Monday,” said Ahmad Reshad Popal, general director of customs.
The Sher Khan Bandar border began to grow in the last decade, particularly after the 2007 completion of the Tajikistan–Afghanistan bridge at Panji Poyon.
This boosted trade between Afghanistan and Central Asia with as many as 400 shipping trucks coming to Sherkhan Bandar every day.
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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