Roads blockade in north inflict financial losses on businessmen  

MAZAR-I-SHARIF (Pajhwok): Some businessmen and private sector officials in northern Balkh province said they suffered millions of dollars losses in the past 20 days due to the closure of roads leading to the ports.

Transport Companies drivers have blocked the roads leading to Hairatan Port in northern Balkh province demanding exemption from the newly introduced custom tariff.

The Mazar-i-Sharif-Shiberghan high way and the road leading to Sher Khan Port is also closed by protesters.

Khairuddin Maeel, assistant head of the Afghanistan Commerce and Investment Chamber (ACIC) said Afghanistan food and petroleum products entered the country through Hairatan Port and the blockade of the roads caused millions of dollars losses to the people.

He said trucks loaded with goods and petroleum products had stopped at Hiratan Port from the past twenty days.

“Our businessmen pay fine for the truck stopped at Hiratan Port on every passing day. Some loaded goods are lost, I want the government to resolve the problems,” he added.

Momin Zia, head of the Petroleum Products Union, in the northern Zone, said over 2,000 trucks loaded to petroleum products are waiting permission to move in Hiratan Port, he said.

He said some factories had stopped functioning due to the lack of raw materials and some factories are faced with the lack of raw materials.

Businessman Abdul Shakor Yousufzai said around two million chickens are brought up in Mazar-e-Sharif Poltry farms and due to the shortage of their food they are faced with starvation.

Balkh businessmen talked about the closure of roads at a time when on Thursday Governor Farhar Azeemi said that the Hairatan road would be reopened.

He said the road would be opened in line with the agreement between protesters and the driers.

But truck drivers have complained that they will continue their protest until the government exempt them from the newly introduced custom tariff.

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