Afghanistan Railway Authority has in formed of responsibility for collecting incomes from the Hairatan – Mazar railway, saying that the income will further increase with collecting all the revenue.
Head of the country’s railway authority says the authority has been asked to take operational responsibility for the Hairatan – Mazar railway. He said that with taking full operation responsibility of the respective railway the government’s revenue will get double.
Meanwhile, Afghan economists has told The Kabul Times that the government’s revenue will undoubtedly increase in case the country’s railway authority takes full operational responsibility for colleting all the incomes coming from this sector as increasing exports and imposts is underway.
It is said that lots of Afghan products are being exported outside through different ports. According to the Afghan economists, the incomes coming from the country’s ports and railways will further increase if the country’s ports are managed in a better way.
Currently, an Uzbek government company is having all operational responsibility of the Hairatan – Mazar-e-Sharif railway, and the company is provided with $18 million annually. Most of the importing products and goods of Afghanistan are imported through the Hairatan – Mazar-e-Sharif railway and the government collects just $2.5 – $4 million per months.
Afghanistan Railway Authority says it is determined that the Uzbek company will gradually hand over the responsibility process of the Hairtan – Mazar-e-Sharif including collection of incomes, maintenance and wagons’ management to the Afghan side.
“Handing over all the responsibilities to the Afghan side will happen with increasing capacities within the country’s railway authority,” said Bakht Rahman Sharafat, head of the Afghan Railway Authority. He said the Uzbek side has been informed of starting the handover process in early May.
Meanwhile, former head of Chamber of Commerce and Industries of ECO Azarakhs Hafizi says it is very good that the people of Afghanistan are engaged in management and construction of the railway as the country needs nearly 8,000km railway across the country. Just last month, Afghanistan collected $3.5 million revenue from the Hairatan – Mazar-e-Sharif railway.
Khanjan Alokozay, a member of the leading body of Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment, says currently almost all the revenue collected from the Hairatan – Mazar-e-Sharif railway goes to the pocket of the Uzbek company as the Afghan side provides them with U.S. dollar.
A number of Afghan traders say they import most of the fuel, foodstuffs, construction materials and necessary goods from China, Russia and Central Asian countries via Hairatan – Mazar railway.
According to the Afghan traders, imports of the Afghan private sector have been created between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan through the respective railway and now the Afghan side is making better use of the railway as both imports and exports via the respective railway are increasing by passing each single day.
The country’s national traders are asking the IEA to provide further facilities to those investing in the country so that the Afghan traders and investors play vital role in economic development of the country. Recent statistics show that in general the country’s imports have decreased, while the exports are increasing day by day.
Amiri
Hairatan – Mazar railway revenues to increase
