India-Afghanistan deal
America has still imposed 50% tariff on India, due to which India is suffering losses in trade. To deal with this situation, India is exploring new opportunities in other countries. In this sequence, Afghanistan’s Commerce and Industry Minister Alhaj Nooruddin Aziji came to India and gave a big statement. On Monday he said that we have come to invite Indian businessmen to come and invest in Afghanistan. He assured that Afghanistan will provide all kinds of help to Indian businessmen and all obstacles coming in the way of trade will be removed. The minister said that minimum tariff will be imposed on Indian products and talks are also going on on zero tariff. He said that Afghanistan is ready to open new economic avenues for India.
Security and investment guarantee
Azizi said that today Afghanistan is one of the safest places in the world and Indian businessmen are fully welcome. He said that there is immense potential in Afghanistan and Indian companies can benefit greatly from trade and investment here. There are huge opportunities in sectors like mining, agriculture, construction, energy and health. He said that Indian companies can also open hospitals in Afghanistan. The trade between Afghanistan and India is currently around 1 billion dollars, the target is to increase it manifold. The visa problem between the two countries has also been solved to a great extent and new ways are being discovered to send goods.
Banking system will be restored
Many trade problems had arisen due to closure of banking facilities between the two countries. Azizi informed that now India and Afghanistan are in talks to restart the banking system. This will strengthen formal trade and reduce dependence on informal methods. He also said that this journey is just the beginning. There will be further high-level meetings in Kabul and Delhi so that this relationship can be transformed into a long-term partnership.
Big scope for private sector in Afghanistan
The Afghan minister told Indian investors that there are big opportunities for Indian companies in mining, agriculture, health, construction and energy sectors. He clarified that Afghanistan’s dispute with Pakistan will have no impact on India-Afghanistan trade. This statement is being considered a big signal in the politics of South Asia, which clearly shows that Afghanistan wants independent and strong economic relations with India.