‘Pak Obstructing Indo-Afghan Trade’

Font Size

Print

Feedback

Email

Discuss

New Delhi, Aug 28: : There is a great potential for trade with post-Taliban Afghanistan. However, the ‘hostile and obstructionist attitude’ of Pakistani government was causing a considerable loss to Indian industry and trade, says Inder Oberoi, chairman, Indo-Afghan society.

Mr Oberoi said that Pakistan had been refusing to grant transit facilities for the Indian goods being sent to Afghan by road and force trade and business communities in these two countries to ship these goods to Iran.

At a press conference in New Delhi on Wednesday, Mr Oberoi pointed out, "the wholesale market near Kabul was predominantly run by Indians (almost 95 per cent) but today there is hardly one percent Indian business left in Afghanistan."

"With the guidance of the Afghan embassy here and other international agencies, we are encouraging businessmen to go back to Afghanistan and set up business along with partners in the region," he said. Responding to a query about payments, an Afghan trader said that the payments were usually made by way of LCs or telegraphic transfers were made via Dubai or Iran.

About second-hand goods being dumped in Afghanistan, Mr Oberoi conceded that it was happening for a long time. The Afghan market has always been used as a dumping ground for second-hand car parts and spurious drugs. Since there are no foreign banks in Afghanistan, the Indo-Afghan society is planning to recommend to both the finance ministry as well as foreign affairs ministry to set up an Indian bank there.

The society had become an agent of the pharmacy department of Afghanistan to establish and register the Indian pharmaceutical manufacturers and industry in Afghanistan, Mr Oberoi said. The bigwigs in the pharma industry have already joined the society. Ranbaxy Cipla, Zydus Cadila, McNeil & Argus are a few to name.

He announced that the society was planning to organise a health meet and seminar in Kabul in October where national and international players would attend. Since the time of reconstruction process initiated by the government, the Indo-Afghan society had been trying to help the Indian traders to get contracts and sub-contracts there, he added.