Carpet businesspersons want export cost reduced

KABUL (Pajhwok): Some carpet sellers in capital Kabul have complained against the deteriorated market condition and asked the government to reduce the cost of export and resume the air corridor to facilitate export.

They also asked government to convene carpet exhibitions inside the country and generate participation opportunities for them at international exhibitions.

Afghanistan carpets are famous worldwide for their delicate textures and beautiful colors. The carpet sellers are complaining about the lack of market these days to sell their carpets saying they could not sell even one carpet in a week.

Mohammad Yousuf, one of the carpet sellers, said in the past they sold up to 10 carpets on the average monthly but after the regime change they sale declined to three or four carpets.

He was concerned at the staggering carpet sell and asked the government to reduce the cost of carpet export and reopen air corridor to facilitate exports.

Hamid Rauf, another carpet seller associated with this business from the past 52 years, said these times their business activities declined by 80 percent.

He said currently, tourist had declined and public economic condition is weak therefore their business situation inside the country had deteriorated. He, however, said Afghanistan’s international carpet market is doing well and carpets are exported to several countries.

Abdul Salaam Jawad, spokesperson for the Ministry of Commerce and Industries, told Pajhwok Afghan News during the past seven months 580 metres carpet worth $23 million had been exported to US, Austria, Canada, Kuwait, UAE, India and other countries.

He said since the beginning of this year 13 exhibitions are convened in the country and the ministry strived to convene more exhibitions for the local products.

Jawad said export was still underway from Kabul airport and added: “We are trying to connect with different countries through air corridor.”

nh

Views: 54