KABUL, Dec 30 (NNN-ANA) – The Afghan caretaker government’s acting Minister of Industry and Commerce, Nooruddin Azizi, said that, the administration has been looking forward to achieving self-sufficiency within the next three years.
“We are going towards self-sufficiency and will achieve the goal within the next three years. We will improve our trade relations as well,” a private television channel, Tolonews, quoted Azizi as saying.
Talking to a panel debate arranged by Tolonews, Azizi said, “We need to fund our budget from our national revenue. We should not need foreign assistance.”
The country has been facing harsh economic problems, following the withdrawal of the U.S.-led forces in Aug, 2021, and the holding of assets of the Afghan central bank, worth more than nine billion U.S. dollars in American banks.
“We export to approximately more than 60 countries. It is a fact that we have our major exports to India, Pakistan and China. We are trying to target central Asia and Russia from now on,” Azizi said, in the panel debate.
Afghanistan’s main export items include coal, saffron, fresh and dry fruits, hand-woven carpets, precious and semi-precious stones.– NNN-ANA
