NIMROZ (SW) – Local officials in Nimroz province claim Iranian goods are smuggled illegally through the restive border areas under the Taliban control.
Provincial governor, Syed Wali Sultan, said that after closure of the joint border markets, Iran has been smuggling goods to Afghanistan for some time from the insecure parts of Gomshad and Goldani on the border. According to him, most of the Iranian goods smuggled into Nimroz have expired.
Governor Nimroz added that Iran has repeatedly been asked to import its commercial goods into Afghanistan legally and through customs, but the country has ignored the request.
He said that a few years ago, a memorandum of understanding was signed between the provincial authorities and the Iranian province of Sistan-Baluchistan, on the basis of which about 200 cars of commercial goods from both countries were crossing the border without paying customs duties.
But, after Iran was seen to benefit from this unilateral passage, the agreement was unilaterally canceled by the Afghan government, he said.
Gul Ahmad Ahmadi, deputy head of the Nimroz Provincial Council, said smuggling of Iranian goods to the province is damaging the country's economy.
We could not obtain the view of the Iranian Embassy in Kabul on this matter.
ENDS
