KABUL (SW) – A number of businessmen doing trade via Islam Qala and Karachi complain about the imposition of high costs and the excuses of the neighboring countries and demand serious attention from the authorities to solve their problems.
Zalmi Azimi, a businessman and a member of the Nangarhar Chamber of Commerce and Investment board, says that Pakistan has stopped more than 3,000 containers of Afghan commercial goods at the port of Karachi since a month ago.
He adds: “Pakistan says that you have to guarantee 100% of food, medicine and other things in the banks, we will not let these 212 goods into Afghanistan. We filed many lawsuits to solve this issue, but the problem was not solved. 3,300 containers of our goods that are stopped, this is the capital of the Afghan people, they must release these goods, winter has come and the Afghan people need them.”
On the other hand, Naqibullah Safi, the head of the Afghanistan-Pakistan Joint Chamber of Commerce and Industry, says that millions of dollars in fines are added daily to the stopped containers. “In exchange for daily fines, we pay fines and detentions, the fines amount to millions of dollars. If these containers are not released as soon as possible, the amount of fines will be higher than the value of the property.”
Likewise, a number of merchants and drivers importing commercial goods via Islam Qala port say that they have been on strike for several days due to Iran’s imposition of additional costs and not addressing their problems.
Nisar Ahmad, a merchant in the port of Islam Qala, told Salaam Watandar about this: “Iran takes a lot of money, our fare is low… They charge us a tax based on the number of things, they charge us money from every station. After two, three months, it will be our turn. No one goes, this doesn’t matter to us. No one listens to the chat, they don’t hear our voice.”
Humayoun Himmat, deputy commissioner of Islam Qala, also says that more than a thousand cars have stopped working in this port. “In Iran, consumption is high, credits have increased, they get money for everything; that is why they are on strike. Drivers want to take turns with Iranians. Almost a thousand cars have stopped and not one of them allowed to go.”
However, the officials in the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment say that they have discussed with Pakistan many times to release the containers of Afghan traders, but the Pakistani authorities still insist on their decision.
Khanjan Alakozay, the first deputy of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment, says that the trade and transit problems between Afghanistan and Iran will be solved during the visit of Abdul Ghani Baradar, the economic deputy of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He adds: “We have two types of problems with our neighbors. For example, Pakistan has politicized economic issues and created obstacles in trade. With Iran, our traders have cost problems, the price transfers are high. The fare is high, during Mullah Baradar’s trip to Iran, the solution to the problems of Afghan businessmen was discussed with Iran. The problem will be solved. More than 4000 containers are left in Karachi port and the problem has not been solved. Although it has been discussed, but this problem has not been solved.”
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