report in ToloNews, Feb 2, 2023 at 10:45 PM
Businesspeople expressed concerns over the closing of Hairatan-Mazar railway and said that it will affect business.
They warned that the prices of commodities will increase if the railway is not reopened.
“When the path is closed, the prices surge,” said Abdul Ghani, a trader.
“If for one or two weeks, or if it takes longer, it will be difficult for us and the prices of our commodities will increase,” said Shahista Gul, a trader.
The Islamic Emirate announced late Tuesday that the railway of Hairatan-Mazar had been closed.
This comes as the Afghan Railway Authority said that Uzbekistan stressed the need to send 65 technical staff members, but the Islamic Emirate denied it, and therefore Uzbekistan closed the railway.
The acting head the ARA, Bakht Mohammad Sharafat, said that they will soon reopen the railway for the traders.
The economists believe that the Hairatan-Mazar railway is one of the important ports and that its closure will affect Afghan trade, especially with the Central Asian nations.
“65 people are appointed in the new contract. We have agreed on one path which starts from Ghulba to Hairatan. They have newly appealed for two new paths and this causes us major financial losses. It is beyond our capacity. This issue will be solved soon,” he said.
“If the closure of this highway continues, it can certainly affect economic relations and transportation of trade,” said Shakir Yaqoobi, an economist.
The Islamic Emirate’s spokesman, Zabiullah Mujahid, called on the traders to import commodities via other ports until the railway is reopened.
The Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment said that the majority of commodities are being imported from the Hairatan-Mazar railway.
https://tolonews.com/business-181872
