Wednesday, August 03, 2016
Kabul (BNA) The officials of the government said Afghanistan has received the membership of the World Trade Organization (WTO).
Mosafer Qoqandi, spokesperson of the ministry for commerce said, ‘accession to WTO can cause Afghanistan to use all advantages as like as other 163 member countries.’
It is to be that Afghanistan should also implement the WTO regulations.
One of the regulations is that Afghanistan should open its markets to exporting commodities of other 163 member countries—a move that is not in the benefit of the country, according to economic experts. The organization is making effort to pave the way for free business, the experts added.
In fact, Afghanistan is an importing country, through which it provides 90 percent of its needs.
Afghanistan doesn’t have extensive exports to be able to benefit the organization’s advantages; therefore, the contract won’t be beneficial to the country.
Najibullah Mahmoud, a Kabul University lecturer said, ‘currently, Afghanistan needs the international community support to improve its business sector.’
Welcoming Afghanistan’s membership to the WTO, Mahmoud said, hereafter, the Afghan investors can invest any country they want.
An Afghan trader, Taj Mohammad believes that if the government of Afghanistan paves the way for better exports and imports, there is no doubt the country can export better products to the world markets.
But unfortunately, some exporting goods such as Afghanistan’s carpets are being supplied to the world markets by the name of Pakistan, an action that harms the country’s economy, Taj Mohammad further said. He asked the government to solve the Afghan traders’ problems, so they can easily invest inside and outside the country. Meanwhile, the U.S. ambassador to Kabul welcomed Afghanistan’s membership to the WTO, adding this is good news and Washington is looking forward to further cooperate with Afghanistan through the organization.
It is worth mentioning that in a declaration released by the U.S. embassy called the move a great historical achievement after more than a decade of cooperation between the U.S. and Afghanistan.
Afghanistan is 164th in the world and 36th among the less-developed countries that have received WTO membership.
The World Trade Organization has been established in 1995 and its main headquarter is located in Genève, Swiss.
