4,500 tonnes of dried fruits exported via Ghulam Khan crossing

KHOST CITY (Pajhwok): The Khost Chamber of Commerce and Industries says that 4,500 tonnes of dried fruits worth $11.5 million have been exported through Ghulam Khan crossing in southeastern Khost province.

Nawab Amirzai, head of the Khost Chamber of Commerce and Industries, said that 4,500 tonns of dried fruits were exported through Ghulam Khan Port in the ongoing solar year, which showed a 30 percent increase compared to previous years.

He told Pajhwok that Ghulam Khan Port is closer to Karachi Port than other ports in the country, and therefore exports through this port have increased.

According to him, this year, dried fruits worth $11.5 million US dollars have been exported through this port.

He adds: "This year, our production and export of dried fruits were high. If this continues, Afghanistan will meet its development and ordinary budget through this route."

On the other hand, traders say that the facilities they need have not yet been created on this route.

A trader, Fazal Ahmadzai, told Pajhwok that the narrowness of the road from Khost city to Ghulam Khan and the periodic closure of this route by the Pakistani government are what are causing delays in their exports.

“This route to Karachi Port is approximately 465 kilometers shorter than Torkham Port, but we do not have a bypass road on this route, which is why vehicles do not reach it quickly. We request the government to solve this problem,” he said.

Another trader from the province, Jumauddin, told Pajhwok Afghan News that if the export of dried fruits continued in this way, there woudl be a significant increase in farmers' income.

He said: "Afghan fruits will be sold at high prices in other countries, the people of Afghanistan will be happy, traders will be happy, and business will go well."

Meanwhile, Shamsul Ahmad, the head of Khost's Department of Industry and Commerce, told Pajhwok Afghan News that they have provided all the necessary facilities to traders in the field of exports and there are no problems facing them.

He said after the takeover of the Islamic Emirate, there has been a significant increase in exports and efforts were being made to increase exports further.

Earlier, the National Statistic and Information Authority (NSIA) has said that during the third quarter of the ongoing year the level of exports reached $669 million.

nh