Afghan Businessmen Encounter Permit Renewal Challenges, States Iranian Official

Mahmoud Siadat, the head of the Iran-Afghanistan joint chambers, announced that about five thousand Afghan businessmen are engaged in export activities in Khorasan Razavi province of Iran.

However, Siadat stated that there are challenges regarding the issuance and renewal of business permits for Afghan traders.

According to Shahrara news agency, which is affiliated with Mashhad Municipality, Siadat said that due to challenges in renewing business permits for Afghan businessmen, goods are sometimes exported in another person's name, while the tax should be calculated based on the performance of Afghan businessmen.

He said that foreign businessmen, including Afghans, should pay taxes.

Siadat also emphasised that the Iran-Afghanistan joint chambers is actively working to streamline processes and enhance oversight by collaborating with government and provincial administrations, in order to prevent unnecessary delays in administrative procedures, ensuring the continuous and uninterrupted flow of economic activities.

USD 275 Million Commercial Transactions

Jaber Ansar, Afghanistan’s General Consul in Mashhad, the capital of Khorasan Razavi province, announced that during the first six months of this year [Hijri calendar], Khorasan Razavi exported USD 275 million to Afghanistan, which has increased by 35% compared to the same period last year.

Ansar told Shahrara news agency that "Iranian partners’ investment in Afghanistan's mining, commercial and agricultural capacities is very good now, but we believe that this communication can be done more purposefully and effectively".

He stressed that targeted communication means focusing on mining, transit and agricultural capacities of Afghanistan, so that the raw product produced in the country can be processed with Iranian expertise.

According to Iranian authorities in Khorasan Razavi, approximately half a million Afghans are registered in Mashhad with residence permits. The majority of them have migrated to Iran following the Taliban's assumption of power.

This figure constitutes 95% of the total population of immigrants in Mashhad. Two days ago, the municipality of Mashhad, had issued an order prohibiting the activities of Afghans in the city's mobile markets. Furthermore, the extensive deportation of Afghan immigrants from Iran persists.

Iran has additionally prohibited the entry of Afghans into 16 provinces of the country.