Business centre being built on Iranian border

ZARANJ (Pajhwok): A business centre will be established soon on the Afghan-Iran border in southwestern Nimroz province, with the often hostile neighbour indicating as softening of policy toward Afghan traders.

Provincial council head Mohammad Sediq Chakhansori told Pajhwok Afghan News on Wednesday that an agreement on the border market had been signed between the two sides.

Afghan border police official Gen. Mohammad Shafiq Fazli and Iranian border police chief Col. Rezayee inked the accord a day earlier. Under the deal, people from both sides of the border would be able to visit the business centre without having visas.

Chakhansori said the business centre would offer for sale dried fruits, rice, handicraft and livestock from Afghanistan and fuel, food items, dairy products and construction materials from Iran.

A resident of Nimroz living close to the border, Abdul Ghani, hoped they would be able to sell products and buy cheap Iranian goods once the trade centre was constructed.

“Afghans are not allowed to enter Iran without visas. Nimroz residents receive visas from Kandahar province in a month’s time and pay 25,000 afghanis in guarantee,” he said.

Based on the agreement, Chakhansori said, Iranian officials will reduce restrictions on Afghan trucks transporting goods from that country.

On the other hand, some traders in Nimroz staged a protest, asking the authorities to help clear their trucks stranded on the Iran border.

One of the protestors, Mohammad Nazir, said: “Our trucks have been stopped on both sides of the border; we have invested thousands of dollars and ask the government to help solve our problem.”

mds