A delegation of Turkish traders on Sunday arrived in Kabul and met with Afghan colleagues and showed interest in making investments in Afghanistan.
The 25-member Turkish trade delegation is led by Fateh Matin, deputy Turkish economy minister, who has been in Kabul for the past two days to negotiate strengthening business relations between the two countries.
Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ACCI) members shared information about available investment opportunities with the Turkish delegation at a meeting titled ‘Afghan-Turk Commercial Communication Conference’ at Kabul Star Hotel.
Atiqullah Nasrat, ACCI operative chief, talking to the meeting, said there were good investment opportunities available in Afghanistan in areas of electricity production, agriculture, natural resources’ extraction, healthcare and construction sector.
About electricity, he said Afghanistan currently needed 5,000 megawatts of electricity and the country had the capacity to produce 23,000 megawatts hydropower and 120 megawatts solar energy.
“If investors invest in this area, Afghanistan will be able to even export electricity”, he said, adding that the Afghan government supported foreign investors.
“There is also a great opportunity for investment in the health sector because Afghans spend nearly 400 million USD a year on medical treatment abroad”, Nasrat added.
He said minerals’ extraction, constructions and processing agricultural products were other areas that needed investments.
Most of investments, particularly in construction sector in Afghanistan, had been carried out by Turkish investors over the last 16 years, he added.
Nasrat asked the Turkish trade delegation to cooperate with Afghanistan in issuing visas to Afghans, reducing customs tariffs and creating Afghan Commercial Center in Istanbul, the Turkish capital.
He said Afghan traders would also start exports to Turkey through Turkish Airlines in the next one month.
The trade volume between Afghanistan and Turkey was 320 million USD in the past but the amount has reduced to 110 million USD in recent years due some reasons, Nasrat said without giving details.
Fatih Matin, deputy Turkish economy minister, said the aim of the delegation’s visit to Kabul was to improve business relations between the two countries.
He said Turkish traders were highly interested in investing in electricity production, mines’ extraction, health sector and constructions in Afghanistan.
Matin said they would not hesitate from cooperation with Afghan traders in creating facilities and resolving their problems.
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