KABUL (SW): Afghanistan and India on Wednesday established second air corridor for trade linking the Afghan capital Kabul with India’s financial capital Mumbai.
Hailing New Delhi’s contributions towards reconstruction of Afghanistan, Vice President Mohammad Sarwar Danish said India is helping implement 116 development projects in 31 provinces of the country. He added Mumbai authorities have also promised to help promote Afghan products in the city of close to 20 million inhabitants.
The VP also urged other regional countries to prioritize economic matters in their political policies towards Afghanistan.
Speaking on the occasion, Khan Jan Alakozay, vice president of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI), said the Kabul – Mumbai air corridor would prove crucial for Afghan traders. He highlighted that the Afghan traders would get good prices for their yields in Mumbai, and the flights returning would bring goods of the same traders exporting to India.
He highlighted that the government has subsidized the costs of shipments, and traders would only be charged 25 cent of the USD per kilo, which is equal to fares via road. Alakozay said this move would lift trade between Afghanistan and India to $ 500 million per year.
Since the first air corridor was established in June, Afghanistan has exported 218,000 tons of fresh fruits to India form Kabul and Kandahar. Last year, only 148,000 tons of fruits were exported.
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