Herat exports through Islam Qala port rise by 72pc — Pajhwok

HERAT CITY (Pajhwok): Exports from western Herat province through the Islam Qala port increased by 72 per cent in the first six months of the current year compared with the same period last year, reaching $124.29 million, officials said. The Herat Department of Information and Culture said in a statement that officials of the province’s Chamber of Commerce and Investment attributed the increase to expanding commercial activity through the port. Mohammad Yousuf Amin, executive director of the Herat Chamber of Commerce and Investment, told Pajhwok Afghan News that fresh and dried fruits, vegetables, handicrafts and other goods worth more than $124.289 million had been exported to neighbouring and Asian countries during the first six months of the current year. Amin said the registered figures showed a 72 per cent increase compared with the corresponding period last year. However, the source put the value of exports during the same period last year at more than 72 million Afghanis, a figure that appears inconsistent with the reported growth and current export value. Meanwhile, Mullah Syed Hazratullah, the Islam Qala port commissioner, said around 1,000 vehicles carrying commercial and transit goods passed through the port daily. He said facilities had been introduced for issuing road passes and visas up to customs offices to make procedures easier for drivers on both sides of the…