President Ashraf Ghani said on Saturday the management of industry and production has been Afghanized and the government should become a partner in the private sector.
Addressing a ceremony celebrating the “Industry Week” in Kabul, the president said the activity of industry and the impact of their capital was tangible. Ghani said industries in Afghanistan had turned modern.
“Four years ago, the management (of industries) was in the hands of foreigners, but today I see the absolute management of the Afghans, this is really a great progress.”
He said the Afghanization of management in the industry and production showed that investors and industry workers provided a well-trained, perseverant and dignified workforce.
He added: “The government should remove the obstacles and become a partner of the private sector and industry – a real and long-term partner.”
The president said the investment climate has changed in the last four and a half years, and mutual trust and mutual respect between the private sector and the government has been created.
Meanwhile, acting commerce and industry minister Ajmal Ahmadi told the gathering that industry played a vital role in economic development and increasing exports of the country.
He added his ministry was focusing on three main areas of industrial growth — improving business situation to turn Afghanistan from an importing country to an exporting country, infrastructure development and creating policies.
He also talked about his ministry’s achievements and said the country’s exports were close to $ 1 billion and the goal was to reach $ 2 billion in the next two years.
