Afghanistan inching towards self-sufficiency

Since the Islamic Emirate (IEA) takeover in mid-August 2021 and the improvement of the overall security situation in the country, investment in various sectors has increased unprecedentedly. For example, investment in mining sector, agriculture, health and other areas has increased in the past almost two years. Increasing investment in various sectors can help Afghanistan develop and reach self-sufficiency.

The Islamic Emirate has always asked Afghan national traders and investors to invest in various fields inside Afghanistan. It is a golden opportunity for the country’s traders and investors to invest in the country as the overall security situation has improved across Afghanistan. It is the responsibility of all particularly national traders and investors to work with the Islamic Emirate to do more for the country to stand on its feet and reach self-sufficiency in domestic production.

Hopes are increasing as the Islamic Emirate is making efforts towards attracting more investment and self-sufficiency of the country. In Kandahar, a pharmaceutical manufacturing company has officially started production after being established by a conglomerate of 70 investors, at a cost of $50 million. This is considered a big investment in the production of medicines in the country.

The pharmaceutical factory, Snow Pharma, in Kandahar’s Aino Mena Township, took six years to complete and will produce tablets, capsules and syrups. All medicine manufactured at the plant will meet the World Health Organization (WHO) and Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) criteria. The factory will produce five million tablets, 2.2 million capsules and 100,000 bottles of syrup per day. The more domestic factories start operation in the country, the more people will get jobs.

The new pharmaceutical factory will provide employment to many people, 90 percent of whom will be Afghans. The Islamic Emirate has provided all possible opportunities for investors to domestically invest. Afghanistan has imported mostly all of its medicines from neighboring countries particularly Pakistan, Iran, India, China and some other Asian and European countries, over the years. This has proved costly to the end user. Afghans have also for many years complained about the poor quality of medicines brought into the country.

After more than 40 years of armed conflict, natural disasters, and epidemics, Afghan people today face a new phase in an increasing humanitarian crisis. Such investment in the country will help Afghanistan reach self-sufficiency and boost economic development. Currently, thousands of Afghans travel to neighboring countries particularly Pakistan and Iran for treatment each year. They are still thinking that there are no quality health services and medicines in Afghanistan’s hospitals. With investment in the production of medicines in the country, the problem of shortage of medicines in many hospitals will be addressed.

Opening the new pharmaceutical factory in the country is considered as a big step towards self-sufficiency.