The Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI) deputy head on Tuesday said Afghan traders exporting fruits to India were charged heavy taxes at Indian airports.
Khan Jan Alokozai told Pajhwok Afghan News in an interview that some 460 metric tonnes of dried and fresh fruits worth $7 million had so far been exported to India since the launch of the Afghanistan-India air freight corridor a few months back.
Six flights carrying 360 tonnes of fresh fruits (apricots, melons and grapes) and 100 tonnes of dried fruits and medicinal herbs were flown to India from Kabul and Kandahar province, he said.
The ACCI deputy head acknowledged some issues in exports through the Afghan-Indo Air Corridor, saying besides the air fare, an enormous amount of taxes was taken from Afghan traders at Indian airports.
Alokozay said he had shared the issue with the Presidential Palace and the authorities concerned; however, the issue remained unresolved. Due to the high taxation, Afghanistan’s fruits prices went up, rendering Afghan products unable to compete with other countries’ fruit markets in India, he added.
Mir Zaman Popal, head of Afghanistan exports development at ACCI, also confirmed problems in fruits exports through the Afghanistan-India Air Corridor, but said efforts were underway for their solution.
He said dried fruits being exported to India needed special tests and certificates, something that should be made available.
Popal said efforts were underway for solution of the mentioned problems and any type of dried fruits would have a special certificate in future.
Source: pajwok.com
