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Afghan fruit rots while waiting for cargo flights to India and beyond

A LACK of air cargo flights from Afghanistan to markets in India has left at least 120 tons of fruit ready for loading stranded, resulting in a large amounts of spoilage.

According to officials from the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI) 15 tons of the fruit has been waiting for loading for 15 days.

Air cargo transport has started without prior preparations, the ACCI deputy chief Khanjan Alokozay said, calling the air cargo transportation a "failed process, reported Kabul's TOLOnews.

"The World Trade Organisation is not providing subsidies on Afghan exports because it is against the rules." Mr Alokozay said.

Economic affairs analysts said Afghanistan got the WTO's membership in a hurry and now it should do business with regional countries based on the rules.

"Government opens a so-called way for investors in order to give a hope to the people. But at the end of the day, we see that investors bear the brunt of this flawed decision and their fruit wait for cargo flight for many days," said economic analyst Azrakhsh Hafizi.

Afghanistan's Ministry of Commerce and Industries would not comment on the WTO's decision to prevent it from giving subsidies to India and Afghanistan. Spokesman of the ministry, Musafir Qoqandi, said using air cargo transport between India and Afghanistan is based on an agreement between the two countries.

"This decision and agreement between the two countries was aimed at boosting trade ties between Afghanistan and India and it will not affect any international commitment of Afghanistan," he said.