Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi said that 5,000 companies are officially managed by women in Afghanistan.

Speaking at a gathering of Afghan traders in Helmand, Azizi said that the women entrepreneurs can participate in the exhibitions and even travel to other countries while being accompanied by a male guardian.

“There is no problem from our side for businesses being run by women in the country. There are 5,000 official companies,” Azizi said.

According to Azizi, 50,000 companies are being managed unofficially by women in Afghanistan.

“Afghanistan is safe for regional transit, and we are trying for it,” said Mohammad Younus Momand, acting head of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment.

Some of the traders said that they will invest in Afghanistan in case further opportunities are made for business in the country.

“The traders that have gone outside the country and are working in China and Pakistan, they also said that once the national industrial parks are opened inside the country, they will come,” said Rohullah Barak, a trader.

“Based on the statistics of the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, a group of Afghan women entrepreneurs will participate in an exhibition which is due to be held in Russian in the near future.