Business activities, work opportunities improve at Torghundai Port

HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): Business activities and work opportunities have improved in Herat province’s Torghundai Port now compared to the past, officials and businesspersons said on Tuesday.

The increase of commercial activities in Turghand port was the result of various factors, such as the availability of wide fields of loading and unloading of commercial goods, settlement of commercial challenges, creation of rest areas for workers, businessmen and foreigners.

Businesspersons and workers of this port were happy with the state of affairs and asked the government to create more facilities for business people in this port.

Fazal Ahmad, one of the workers at the port, said the business condition at Torghundai port had improved now compared to the past, he said he had continuously worked in this port for the past five months.

He said In this commercial port, about 800 workers were involved in loading and unloading every day, and in a week, two to three million Afghanis are paid for this number of workers by the businessmen.

Ramin Ahadi, one of the bargemen of Turghandi port, said that there was a lot of supervision in this port, cargo was loaded and unloaded correctly, and there were about 20 to 25 bargemen working in this port, each carried out the work of about twenty commercial companies.

Mawlavi Humayon Himmat, Deputy Commissar of Torghundai port, said daily up to 80 trucks move towards Turkmenistan and around 60 trucks enter Herat from Turkmenistan via Torkhundai port.

He said there was a 50 percent surge in business activities now compared to the past. Earlier, the trade activities were up to 100 trucks on both sides, in the railway sector, one train was unloaded at Torghundai but currently, two or three trains with more wagons were unloaded in the port.

Referring to the trade issues at Torghundai port he said Turkmenistan did not provide visas to Afghan businessmen while Afghanistan provided visas to Turkmenistan businessmen, relevant authorities had been asked to address this issue, he added.

Mawlavi Himmat said commercial transactions between the two sides take place in the common market of Turghandi, but Afghan traders cannot enter Turkmenistan, but goods imported in the mentioned port are sold by Turkmen traders to Afghan traders.

Referring to the types of goods traded at Torghundai port, he said Afghanistan's export items through Turghandi were mostly dry fruits, pomegranate juice, drinks, potatoes, malt, etc., and the imported items are gas, oil, wheat, flour, fabric, etc.

The deputy commissar linked the increase in trade activities in this port with the provision of security and said the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) was trying to ensure the security of traders and provide the necessary facilities to businessmen and businesses.

Mawlavi Nisar Ahmad Elyas, the governor spokesperson, said after the political change in the country many problems had emerged for Afghans in getting visas, adding that so far many efforts had been taken to address this problem.

He said relevant officials strived to address problems in the areas of visa, transport and transit.

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