Corruption, smuggling keeping investors at bay

KABUL (Pajhwok): The marketing campaign for domestic products in the country’s six zones is being launched at a time when investors are complaining against corruption and entry of products through smuggling that are produced at home.

The local products expos is scheduled to being in mid-October in six zones of the country --- Kabul, Herat, Balkh, Kandahar and Khost provinces. Besides local investors, some foreign investors would take part in the expo.

Jihat Fazli, head of the International Investment Board in Afghanistan, said the purpose of the expo was to introduce domestic products to local and foreign investors and pave the way for local products to find access to global markets.

Seyam Pasarlai, head of Seyam Business, said: “We want people to use local products so their consumption expand. More investment should come to Afghanistan and the expo is a proper platform.”

Corruption and Smuggling

Sher Baz Kameenzada, head of the Afghanistan Mines and Industries Chamber, said major hurdle in attracting investment in Afghanistan was corruption and the import of products through smuggling to Afghanistan that were produced locally.

He said poultry, meat, cake, chips, ice cream, eggs and some other products were adequately produced locally but they were imported from outside.

He said due to corruption and smuggling, local factories faced problems and market in Afghanistan was occupied by smuggled and low quality products.

Kameenzada said if corruption and smuggling was stopped, Afghans could achieve self-reliance quickly. He asked the government to stop corruption and import of goods which were locally produced.

Javed Ahmad Zahiri, deputy head of the Islamic Bank of Afghanistan, assured the bank’s support and said the bank was ready to serve businessmen and industrialists in line with Islamic and local laws.

nh/ma