Saturday March 30, 2019
Kabul (BNA) President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani on Thursday inaugurated Afghanistan’s biggest smelting plant, Khan Steel, as well as the first-ever pine nut processing factory, Bozorg Afshan in Kabul, BNA reported.
Delivering their remarks during a ceremony held on the occasion in Pul-e-Charkhi industrial Park, chairman of Afghanistan’s chamber of commerce and industries Sherbaz Kameen Zada, head of pine nut union Yahya Zadran and Naqibullah head of Maihan Steel factory praised President Ghani’s effort for investments in the country, adding Afghanistan’s revenue would be increased and further employment opportunities to be created through exporting of the pine nuts and melting of the steels. Head of Maihan Steel said trade violations by some neighboring countries are affecting domestic products.
“The reduction of products of neighboring countries and their violations in the prices in markets are at a scale which is not even equivalent to our domestic consumption and this could push our factories to the verge of recession,” he said. “All relevant institutions should be directed to take step towards preventing the smuggling of pine nut,” said head of pine nut exporters union. At the same event, Chinese Ambassador to Afghanistan Liu Jinsong said that China is looking to import more products from Afghanistan in the future and will help Afghanistan in areas of industry and processing of the products. “In the future, China will import more Afghan featured products,” Liu said. “We are also contributing more towards the peace, reconciliation and economic reconstruction of Afghanistan.”
Delivering his remarks, President Ghani said the economic independence of the country is interconnected with its political sovereignty. Referring to the complaints lodged by industrialists about dumping policies of the neighboring countries, the President pledged to raise the issue with these countries said that Afghanistan will implement similar tariff policies in its commercial ties with neighboring nations. “I am grateful to the investor that they trust at a time that others think that the situation is complex. Investment attracts the trust of the world and brings employment,” said the President. He vowed to transform Afghanistan from a consumer market to an industrialist exporter nation. “Our desire is to transform Afghanistan from an importer of industrial materials to an exporter. Industrializations of Afghanistan is a desire as well as action,” President Ghani added, saying public and private sector partnership was key to stability of Afghanistan.
At least $50 million was invested in Maihan Steel and the pine nut processing factory. President Ghani said that Afghanistan has the capacity of exporting over $4 billion agricultural products. “Bamiyan’s potatoes have good markets in Azerbaijan. I don’t want it to be sent to Pakistan anymore and sent back to us (from there),” the President added. Meanwhile acting minister of commerce and industry said boosting agricultural products and steel industry have particular role in Afghanistan’s economic growth, adding his led ministry was working on a practical plan as well as have taken steps for reformation of the sector.
