KABUL, 25 April 2022, (TON): An official said “Ministry of Finance has closed all border markets to prevent the illegal import of goods, especially commodities, to Afghanistan.”

A finance Ministry spokesman Ahmad Wali Haqmal said “the issue of border markets was crucial for us. The cabinet decided to close them all because some people were taking its advantage and were importing commodities illegally.”

According to the Afghanistan Chamber of Industry and Mines “the closure of the markets will benefit the import of goods, especially commodities, to the country.”

Sakhi Ahmad Payman, the deputy head of the ACIM said “the closure of the border markets is a good step and will benefit Afghanistan because previously, commodities were imported illegally through these markets and there was no quality control on them.”

But a member of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) said that nearly 400 people were working in these markets and that the decision would create problems for those living in bordering areas.