KABUL (SW) – Analysts believe bilateral trade with Pakistan in rupee is going to harm Afghanistan’s economy even further.
After the Ministry of Finance of Pakistan announced that during one year the trade of goods including coal with Afghanistan will be done in Pakistani rupees, economic experts consider this to the detriment of Afghanistan.
Abdul Nasir Rashtiya, an expert on economic issues, says that Pakistan is facing a severe economic crisis and lack of energy and foreign resources, for this reason, it wants to do business with Afghanistan to the detriment of Afghanistan in order to get rid of this situation.
Taj Mohammed Tashah, another expert on economic issues, also believes the same. He said that Pakistan is facing an economic crisis. According to him, Pakistan is entering the black list of the International Monetary Fund, and in addition, the value of its currency has decreased sharply.
Meanwhile, Khan Jan Alokozay, head of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment, said that Pakistan is on the gray list and cannot trade with Afghanistan in dollars, that’s why trade with this country has been done in rupees for a long time. He added that they have discussed this issue with the authorities of the Islamic Emirate so that the trade can be done in dollars, but so far it has not been fruitful.
However, Maulana Zaheer, the spokesperson of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, says that Afghanistan does not have an agreement with Pakistan in this regard. “We have not been aware of this issue and we do not have an agreement with Pakistan on such an issue. This work is against banking rules and is not for the benefit of the country.”
Officials of the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum also say that they do not have a contract with any country regarding the export of coal and private companies transfer coal to Pakistan.
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