Herat Businessmen complain high animals’ skins transportation fare

HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): Some businesspersons in western Herat province have complained against the high transportation fare of domestic animals’ skins to foreign countries especially to Pakistan and asked officials to pay attention to this issue.

The linked hike in the transportation fare of domestic animals from Herat to Pakistan with the formation of a Commission by the provincial Transport Department and said the decision left negative impact on all businessmen.

They said the sudden hike in the transportation fare was something unaffordable for them and unacceptable to them and it posed threat for many of businessmen for the continuation of their work.

Sayed Naeem, one of the businessmen, told Pajhwok Afghan News the price of animal skin is low in the local market and one skin is sold against 20 afs and its fare cost 40 afs.

He said the Commission formed by the Transport Department of the province for the transfer of goods has not taken into account the price differentiation, the price of skin is down, and if the situation continued this way trades will go bankrupt and their problems will increase..

Mohammad Nasir, another skin sellers acknowledged Sayyed Naeem’s statement and added that they collected skin from all over the western region and transferred it to Pakistan, the value of the transferred skin is not as high as its fare..

He said in the past one truck of skin was loaded from their market and went to Pakistan but now they should commission load the truck outside the city and transferred via Torkham because Spinboldak crossing is shut.

He said the skin price of a sheep is 20 afs while a goatskin price is 40 afs, this comes despite the fact that storing skins in Herat is not a suitable option for traders because of the increase in rent, and by transferring them, nothing else will be gained for them except fatigue and helplessness.

Jamaluddin Tahiri, head of the Jalaban Union in Herat city, acknowledged the problems faced by businessmen and said the problems that had been developed was due to the lack of leather companies in this province, and these skins should be exported outside the country, but unfortunately, there has been no cooperation with small businessmen in this field.

The provincial Transport Department was contacted to get their view point on this issue but no response was received despite frequent efforts.

But Mawlavi Nisar Ahmad Elyas, the governor spokesperson, said in fact, when a big problem is tackled a small portion of society get affected but different commissions had been made to address the problems faced by businessmen and traders.

The creation of a Commission for cargo transfer also has advantages that we should pay attention.

The absence of an authoritative person during loading is something wrong but earlier it was natural which is basically an illegal act, as well as the safety of the cargo, which has been given considerable attention in this regard and now the transfer take place safely, he added.

It should be noted that all animals’ skins and intestines from the city and districts of Herat province are collected by Jalaban and are sold for a low rate outside the country, a challenge that has worried many of these businessmen.