Taliban official called on national and international entrepreneurs to consider Maidan Wardak a promising and potential destination…reports Asian Lite News
Several Chinese investors recently travelled to Afghanistan’s Maidan Wardak to assess potential business opportunities in the province, official sources said, Khaama Press reported.
The Khaama Press News Agency is an online news service for Afghanistan. Chinese investors during the visit met with the governor of Maidan Wardak province Qari Bakhtyar Mouaz and stated that they are interested to build production plants of kitchen utensils, wire nets, and diapers, according to reports.
The report added, these foreign investors would like to invest an estimated amount of USD 250,000 for a starter and will increase their investment in a gradual manner.
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Afghanistan Governor Qari Bakhtyar Mouaz said that they are ready to provide all the necessary facilities for the construction of these factories in the industrial town of the province.
Mouaz stressed that security-wise, every corner of Afghanistan is ready for investment, and he called on national and international entrepreneurs to consider Maidan Wardak a promising and potential destination for small and medium-sized businesses, as per Khaama Press.
Since the return of the Taliban to power in August 2021, foreign investment has declined to almost zero according to economic experts, as the country is currently plagued with dire economic and humanitarian situations.
According to Khaama Press, hundreds of national investors and business people fled the country fearing death threats and persecution from the Taliban regime, and thousands of development projects throughout the country have been left incomplete following the late regime change.
Lack of market for women’s products
Women in Afghanistan expressed their concerns about the absence of a market for their products on the occasion of World Handicrafts Day, Afghanistan-based TOLO News reported.
Many Afghan women noted a decline in the market for their handicrafts over the past two years and emphasized the need for support from relevant institutions. Rokhsar, a female investor with four years of experience in the handicrafts business, called for assistance from the Taliban. She further said, “Women should be supported so they can stand on their own feet and make progress,” TOLO News reported. Benafsha, a businesswoman, said that their business has witnessed a decline ever since the Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021.
Benafsha further added, “The sales decreased due to the poor economic situation of the people. They cannot afford to buy our products. Also, our products are not sent abroad due to the closure of air corridors for women.”
Akhundzada Abdul Salam Jawad, a spokesperson for the Taliban-led Ministry of Industry and Commerce, said that the Taliban has the commitment to assist businesswomen and added that they are working to address the issues of women, according to TOLO News.
Akhundzada Abdul Salam Jawad said, “We fully support women who are engaged in handicrafts business, and we create markets for their handicrafts both inside and outside the country so that they may make an important contribution as a powerful part of the country’s commerce sector.”
Meanwhile, the Women’s Chamber of Commerce and Industry said that women’s chambers of commerce have been open in 16 provinces of Afghanistan, including Nangarhar, Laghman, Kunar, Nuristan, Herat, and Kabul. (ANI)
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