The Afghan Ministry of Transport said it will soon establish a department of shipping and ships will plough the ocean flying the Afghan flag.
They said the ships would run between Iran’s free port of Chabahar and India.
According to officials, after the US implemented sanctions against Iran Afghan officials have been working to resolve the problem through establishing a shipping line to India through the Chabahar Free Zone port.
The Ministry of Transport says it has shared its proposal with India, Iran, and a number of other countries and that Iran will help on the investment side of the new shipping sector. However, the ships will be bought by the private sector in Afghanistan.
“These ships, which will be purchased by Afghan businessmen, will carry Afghanistan’s flag in the open waters and will benefit Afghanistan’s investment in this sector,” said Imam Muhammad Warimach deputy minister of transport.
A number of economists said that investing in a shipping route would be good for the development of a secure and cheap trade route with India and the world.
“Any action that can extend our transit and trade in the region and the world is in our interest, but the government must provide opportunities in this sector,” said Mohammad Younos Salik an economist.
With the development of an Afghan shipping sector, an increase in the freight transport sector will also take place, he said adding that it would provide a more secure trading environment for Afghanistan and India through Iran.
This comes after the United States recently announced that for the development of Afghanistan’s economy it has given a temporary sanctions exemption to Chabahar port.
