RTANEWS — broadcast
20260818 080000 UTC
294 transcript segments
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[00:04:51] A joint cooperation agreement worth more than $140,000
[00:04:54] US dollars was signed between the Disaster Preparedness
[00:04:57] and Management Authority and a foreign institution. According to
[00:05:01] the memorandum of understanding, this institution will distribute cash aid to 240
[00:05:04] returning and affected families in Kandahar
[00:05:08] and Badghis provinces.
[00:05:10] The Chamber of Commerce and Investment
[00:05:16] says that in the past six months, it has signed trade
[00:05:19] agreements worth $5 billion with India, Iran, and Central
[00:05:23] Asian countries, which also includes
[00:05:27] investment in Afghanistan in addition to exports and imports.
[00:05:30] The head of this chamber also adds that with the new
[00:05:34] leadership of this chamber, relations between the government and the private
[00:05:38] sector have expanded, and many problems of traders and investors have been solved.
[00:05:42] After Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar, as the economic
[00:05:46] head of the Prime Minister's Office of the Islamic Emirate, decided to close all
[00:05:50] trade routes with Pakistan last November and advised Afghan
[00:05:54] traders and industrialists to take action to find alternative
[00:05:57] routes, Afghan traders also began their efforts to find alternative
[00:06:00] routes to new commercial markets. The Chamber
[00:06:03] of Commerce and Investment says that in the past 6 months, in order to achieve
[00:06:07] this goal and expand Afghanistan's trade relations, it has taken
[00:06:10] practical steps and has signed trade agreements
[00:06:13] worth $5 billion with
[00:06:16] India, Iran, and Central Asian countries.
[00:06:19] In 6 months, we have signed almost 5 billion
[00:06:23] dollars worth of contracts with foreign
[00:06:26] countries. Our private sector has collaborated with the private
[00:06:29] sector of India, the Republic
[00:06:32] of Uzbekistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan,
[00:06:36] Iran, and other neighboring countries. Saeed Karim Hashemi, who was
[00:06:39] appointed as the head of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment
[00:06:43] a year ago, mentions the progress and says that in the past year, relations
[00:06:47] between the private sector and the government have expanded,
[00:06:51] many facilities have been created for traders and investors, and their problems have been solved.
[00:06:54] Our relations with the government sector are very
[00:06:58] excellent. The doors of all ministries,
[00:07:02] really, the doors of all key and sectoral ministries
[00:07:06] are open to the entire private sector, especially
[00:07:09] to the Chamber of Commerce.
[00:07:19] We have conveyed our voice to government officials,
[00:07:23] and our voice has been heard. Serious and practical
[00:07:27] measures have also been taken. This is while Afghanistan currently
[00:07:30] has annual trade exchanges of about 14 billion dollars with 10 countries
[00:07:34] in the world, of which nearly 2 billion dollars are
[00:07:36] exports.
[00:07:39] For more discussion on this topic, Zabiullah Islami, an expert,
[00:08:07] it is necessary for countries to agree
[00:08:11] with each other. That is why trade has emerged,
[00:08:14] which is a very good step
[00:08:17] for the chambers of commerce to implement
[00:08:20] and sign contracts with Iran, India, Uzbekistan, and these
[00:08:23] countries. Well, the issue is that
[00:08:26] these contracts, in my opinion, are good
[00:08:30] if they are implemented in practice and
[00:08:34] not just on
[00:08:37] paper, so that we don't just say we signed a contract
[00:08:40] and then later say
[00:08:48] if these contracts are implemented correctly
[00:08:51] in practice, first, it will create jobs,
[00:08:55] and second, the needs that
[00:08:58] Afghanistan has will be easily
[00:09:01] available in the Afghan
[00:09:05] market, and those goods that those countries need
[00:09:08] from Afghan goods will easily
[00:09:12] reach those countries' markets.
[00:09:16] That is why, if these contracts are implemented in practice,
[00:09:20] it is a very positive step for all
[00:09:24] the countries with which Afghanistan has signed trade agreements.
[00:09:27] Mr. Islami, you are also aware that Afghanistan's
[00:09:31] import and export balance
[00:09:35] is different. There is truly a
[00:09:38] difference with the signing of this contract.
[00:10:12] To a large extent, we are an importing country. This
[00:10:16] has several economic reasons. One economic
[00:10:20] reason is that
[00:10:23] we do not have industry or production.
[00:10:55] If in these contracts it is still the case that we remain
[00:10:59] an importing country, then these
[00:11:01] contracts will not have a positive
[00:11:05] efficiency or effectiveness
[00:11:07] in the long run. We must move forward and ensure
[00:11:11] that we bring their technology
[00:11:14] from these countries, train human resources
[00:11:18] for us, and use their technology
[00:11:21] so that our
[00:11:24] private sector and public sector move
[00:11:28] towards industry, and we become more
[00:11:31] of an exporting country than an
[00:11:33] importing country. Mr. Islami,
[00:11:37] you mentioned problems such as the lack of skilled
[00:11:40] labor and access to technology.
[00:11:44] What short-term reforms
[00:11:47] should be made to train skilled labor
[00:11:51] and gain access to technology so that
[00:11:56] sustainable trade growth
[00:11:59] can occur and these contracts can
[00:12:03] be implemented and become operational?
[00:12:07] This has two sides. One side
[00:12:11] is that when these contracts are signed,
[00:12:14] the national interests
[00:12:17] of both countries must be defined. Afghanistan must state
[00:12:20] its national interests, and the other country must state its national
[00:12:24] interests. Both
[00:12:27] must commit or believe that
[00:12:30] if we sign a trade contract,
[00:12:34] we will consider the national interests of each other.
[00:12:38] The second is that we must convince these countries
[00:12:41] to come to Afghanistan.
[00:12:45] The resources that exist in Afghanistan should not be merely extracted
[00:12:48] as raw materials. We should tell them
[00:12:52] to come to Afghanistan and invest
[00:12:55] truly. Truly means bringing
[00:12:58] all your machinery and technology,
[00:13:01] all your financial, human, and material resources
[00:13:05] here. We will give you subsidies, for example,
[00:13:09] we will not take taxes or duties for a certain
[00:13:12] period. And whatever production you do, you do it,
[00:13:16] and the profit is yours. Later, when the contract
[00:13:20] ends, everything you brought here remains,
[00:13:24] and the human resources in Afghanistan
[00:13:27] become specialized. That is why Afghanistan is gradually moving
[00:13:31] towards sustainability and becoming an exporting
[00:13:34] country. It has its own domestic
[00:13:38] products, and countries need them, because the resources
[00:13:42] of other countries are depleting, and Afghanistan
[00:13:46] is now moving towards extracting them. And the whole
[00:13:49] world believes that Afghanistan, we
[00:13:52] need Afghanistan. Why? We know that
[00:13:56] they need us. Why don't we make proper
[00:13:59] and systematic use
[00:14:02] of their needs and demands? How
[00:14:06] can we attract investors to Afghanistan, as you mentioned,
[00:14:09] that they should invest in Afghanistan?
[00:14:13] How can we attract investors to Afghanistan? How can we
[00:14:17] compel them to invest in Afghanistan,
[00:14:19] even though the investment conditions in Afghanistan
[00:14:22] are completely safe?
[00:15:25] We will give you land with technology. If you
[00:15:28] use it for 10 years, this land will be yours,
[00:15:32] and we will also give you nationality
[00:15:35] or residency.
[00:15:37] Through these methods and mechanisms, the Islamic Emirate
[00:15:41] can also encourage foreign capitalists and
[00:15:45] foreign investments to come and invest in Afghanistan.
[00:15:48] Because now it is clear to the whole world that the Islamic
[00:15:52] Emirate has brought security to all parts of Afghanistan.
[00:15:55] That is why, through these methods or approaches,
[00:15:58] they can encourage those investors to come to Afghanistan.
[00:16:02] Because now, if we think about it,
[00:16:06] the tax in Afghanistan
[00:16:09] is very high, and those investors
[00:16:13] who were in Afghanistan have either fled with their capital
[00:16:17] or are saying that other countries offer
[00:16:21] us more facilities and services, so why shouldn't we invest
[00:16:24] there? Therefore, the Islamic Emirate should
[00:16:28] use various mechanisms to encourage investors
[00:16:31] to invest in Afghanistan.
[00:16:35] Many other contracts
[00:17:18] were signed by the government with Kyrgyzstan,
[00:17:21] Kazakhstan, and Uzbekistan. This has had
[00:17:24] a very positive impact
[00:17:28] on the Afghan market, because now
[00:17:30] we are facing
[00:17:34] a shortage of supply. There were alternative
[00:17:47] routes that brought us here. Otherwise, if there were
[00:17:51] no alternative routes, we would have faced
[00:17:55] the crisis where sometimes when Pakistan closed the road,
[00:17:58] prices would skyrocket, and people would complain.
[00:18:02] That is why these alternative routes
[00:18:06] mean that today
[00:18:14] there is supply. All the things we need
[00:18:17] and the market's needs are now met,
[00:18:21] and prices are controlled. Because in the market,
[00:18:25] prices are controlled based on supply and demand.
[00:18:28] It is a very, very positive alternative.
[00:18:31] If we can sign such contracts
[00:18:35] with other countries as well, God willing, Afghanistan
[00:18:38] will not face a crisis of dependence
[00:18:41] on one country. We have emerged
[00:18:45] from economic dependence on various countries,
[00:18:48] and we have contracts with various countries
[00:18:52] based on the demands of our domestic market.
[00:18:55] This is a very positive effect. Very good, Mr. Islami.
[00:18:59] As a final question,
[00:19:02] for the development of trade and export of Afghan goods,
[00:19:06] in which areas is work needed?
[00:19:09] Transportation, banking system, product quality,
[00:19:12] which areas do you think need more work
[00:19:16] to promote Afghanistan's trade?
[00:19:20] Look, we have a problem
[00:19:22] mainly with quality.
[00:19:26] Because Afghanistan has not yet met
[00:19:29] the ISO standard.
[00:19:31] I say we should improve the standard
[00:19:35] even more
[00:19:37] or develop it. And also, the banking
[00:19:41] system is an obstacle that has brought
[00:19:44] Afghanistan's trade system to a standstill.
[00:19:48] These are two very important reasons. And God
[00:19:51] willing, we currently have no problems with transportation,
[00:19:54] because we have air and land corridors.
[00:19:57] Economic corridors have opened.
[00:20:01] This is not such an obstacle.
[00:20:04] Banking systems are a very big obstacle.
[00:20:08] Because Afghan traders face a deadlock where they say
[00:20:12] that we cannot transfer money from one
[00:20:16] country to another country, because we have banking problems.
[00:20:19] We are forced to carry it physically. And carrying
[00:20:23] it physically also has
[00:20:26] a security problem economically. And banks are there for this
[00:20:30] reason, so that money can be transferred easily.
[00:20:33] If we fix our banking system, God willing,
[00:20:37] there will be no other obstacles. God willing, Afghanistan's
[00:20:41] economy and Afghanistan's trade will move towards
[00:20:44] progress and will progress even further. Thank you very much,
[00:20:48] Zabiullah Islami, economic expert. Thank you.
[00:21:23] shared their initial thoughts with the head of Afghanistan's Breshna company and provided information about the need
[00:21:25] to increase the production capacity of factories, modernize
[00:21:29] equipment, and conduct technical studies.
[00:21:33] The general head of Breshna company assured the representatives
[00:21:36] of Technical Power Machines that all necessary facilities
[00:21:39] have now been provided to increase the production
[00:21:43] capacity of power plants, and they can invest
[00:21:47] in this sector with confidence.
[00:21:56] The Standards and Quality Authority reports the rejection
[00:22:00] of two shipments of construction materials and textiles at Islam Qala port.
[00:22:04] The authority added that these shipments weighed about
[00:22:07] 70 tons and were returned to the country
[00:22:11] of origin.
[00:22:17] A number of residents of remote
[00:22:21] areas of Panjshir province are complaining about the lack of telecom
[00:22:25] service coverage in their areas. These residents are calling
[00:22:28] on local officials of the province to install telecom towers in their
[00:22:31] areas. On the other hand, the Telecommunications and Information
[00:22:35] Technology Directorate of the province says that their efforts
[00:22:38] to expand telecom services in remote areas of the province
[00:22:42] are underway. This is Khawak Valley,
[00:22:46] Paryan district, Panjshir province. The residents
[00:22:49] of this area are complaining about
[00:22:53] the lack of telecom service coverage in their areas. These
[00:22:57] residents say that due to the lack of telecom service
[00:23:00] coverage, they cannot share the problems that
[00:23:04] arise in these areas with local officials in a timely manner.
[00:23:08] We are deprived of telecom towers here. There
[00:23:11] is no telecom tower. If we have a problem,
[00:23:15] if one of our relatives in Kabul dies or something
[00:23:19] happens,
[00:23:50] what they call their telecommunication problems, they are demanding
[00:23:54] the establishment of telecommunication towers by officials in this
[00:23:57] district. Mahmoud Rasekh, Milli News,
[00:24:01] Panjshir province. In international news, the
[00:24:05] Wall Street Journal, in its latest report, wrote that
[00:24:09] the Iranian leadership, instead of continuing negotiations
[00:24:12] with the United States, has focused its attention
[00:24:15] in the past two months on preparing for the potential
[00:24:19] outbreak of a widespread war with the United States and Israel.
[00:24:22] According to this report, Iranian officials, after the June
[00:24:26] agreement, became distrustful of the diplomatic efforts of the United States
[00:24:30] and Israel, and believe that these efforts are aimed at
[00:24:34] gaining time for the escalation of war. The
[00:24:37] Wall Street Journal wrote that the expansion of the role of the Islamic
[00:24:41] Revolutionary Guard Corps, the appointment of experienced military officers
[00:24:44] to key positions, the strengthening of counter-intelligence
[00:24:47] operations, and the increase in the production of drones
[00:24:51] are among Iran's most important measures for preparing
[00:24:54] for a potential conflict.
[00:24:56] A
[00:25:02] new poll by Gallup and Ipsos
[00:25:06] shows that the approval rating of Donald Trump, the US
[00:25:09] president, has fallen to 33 percent.
[00:25:13] This figure is his lowest popularity
[00:25:16] level during his current presidency. According to
[00:25:20] this poll, 64 percent of Americans are dissatisfied
[00:25:24] with Trump's performance, while earlier this month,
[00:25:27] his approval rating was 35 percent.
[00:25:31] Also, 80 percent of participants believe
[00:25:34] that the US war with Iran will be
[00:25:37] prolonged.
[00:25:44] We have reached the end of the news in this segment. Thank you for joining us. Have a good time.
[00:25:47] Goodbye.
[00:29:32] roads,
[00:29:34] large
[00:29:37] roads, left
[00:29:41] residents, have
[00:30:29] to take a fundamental role in the economic situation of the country, increasing
[00:30:35] production and employment with the Islamic
[00:30:37] Emirate.
[00:30:40] The goal of the Islamic Emirate is to create an economic environment where investors
[00:30:42] are encouraged to
[00:30:44] invest.
[00:30:48] Ministry and the Department of Book Publishing
[00:30:51] with the aim
[00:30:53] of