KABUL: The Afghanistan Investment Support Agency (AISA) on Wednesday said it had decided to increase customs duty on imported goods in order facilitate marketing for domestic products.
Speaking at the inaugural ceremony of a five megawatts turbine at Shekh Misri Industrial Park on the outskirts of Jalalabad, the capital of eastern Nangarhar province, AISA chairman Qurban Haqjo said the provision of electricity would accelerate the production of domestic products in the province.
“Low custom duties on imported goods badly affect domestic products, so we presented a draft to the economic council of the government for a discussion next Saturday,” he said, adding the hike in customs duty had been demanded in the draft.
Nangarhar Governor Saleem Khan Kunduzi told the gathering that the industrial park needed 15 megawatts of electricity and the remaining power would be provided soon.
The turbine costing $250,000 would provide electricity to 25 factories in the park, he said.
According to officials, about 61,000 factories could be established at both Shekh Misri and Hisar Shahi industrial parks, but currently only few hundreds are operating there.
Kunduzi called on the people of Ningarhar to use domestic products in order to facilitate job opportunities for thousands of people and improve domestic economy.
