KABUL: Pakistani businessmen have suggested to the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI) that they will provide high quality, fortified foods at reasonable prices if Afghan traders start importing their goods once again, said the ACCI deputy head Khanjan Alokozay.
He said Afghan businessmen have in the past few months found alternative markets and have cut back on imports from Pakistan.
According to him, the ACCI has told Pakistani businessmen that they will consider purchasing their goods on condition that Pakistan traders bring their products to the Torkham and Spin Boldak crossings.
The products mainly include flour, rice, and ghee among others.
“Pakistanis say that they will send us fortified foods if we want to import their goods, but we say that the Paksitani businessmen should bring their goods to Torkham and Chaman border crossings and then they should sell them to us because problems on the other side of the border affect Afghan traders,” he said.
Meanwhile, officials from the Ministry of Commerce and Industries (MoCI) said Afghanistan is no longer reliant on Pakistan markets and that Afghan businessmen have found better trading options with countries in the region. According to the ministry, Iran, China and Turkmenistan are proving to be solid markets for Afghan businessmen at the moment.
“Many opportunities have been created to facilitate Afghanistan’s trade with many other countries including Turkmenistan, Iran and China through Central Asia,” said Mohammad Qurban Haqjo, acting deputy minister for commerce at the Ministry of Commerce and Industries.
A number of analysts meanwhile called on government to provide better and standard trade opportunities for Afghan businessmen with the regional countries.
They said using alternative options instead of Pakistan will give provide Afghans with more opportunities.
“We must rely on our own capacities. Government should provide better security for northern provinces in order to make Pakistani and Tajikistani businessmen reliant on Afghanistan trade ways,” said Shabir Bashiri, a political affairs analyst.
According to the ACCI, much of the Pakistani imports have been replaced by products from other countries including Turkey, Iran and India.
