KABUL (Pajhwok): A number of businessmen in Kabul have welcomed the government’s offer to issue visas and other services to foreign investors as a good move.
However, the entrepreneurs called for the government to provide the visa facility for Afghan businesspeople as well.
A week back, the interim government said it would open a special branch at the Kabul Airport to issue emergency visas to foreign investors.
Abdul Nasir Rishtia, head of Afghanistan Metal Smelting Factory, referring to the issue, told Pajhwok Afghan News that Afghan traders were facing problems in obtaining visas.
He said the government should provide facilities for traders so they would be able to get visas of different countries.
“Many businessmen have left the country due to difficulties in getting visas and passports, this also caused capital flight from the country,” he said.
He said giving visas and other facilities to foreign investors by the government would increase the number of foreign investors in the country, which was a positive move.
Mukhlis Ahmad, another businessman said that there was no facility for traders to obtain visas neither now nor in the past.
He says traders still get visas from other countries on the black market at a very high price and they did in the past. He said that the government should resolve the problem.
“The arrival of foreign investors in Afghanistan is important for local entrepreneurs, because they have experience in business. We will benefit from their experience,” he argued.
Zahidullah, another businessman, noted that in addition to problems in visa issuance, traders were yet to be provided with other essential facilities.
“We cannot get visas for other countries in Afghanistan. As a result, we are obliged to get them abroad,” he explained.
A number of other businesspeople made similar comments and called on government officials to resolve the issue.
Bilal Karimi, deputy spokesman for the Islamic Emirate, said the government was working to facilitate visas for traders.
Afghan traders did business with many countries before the fall of the previous government, but now their business is limited to a few countries.
mds/mud
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