The Islamic Emirate announced on Monday that it had reduced value added tax from 4% to 2% for the industrial sector and 7% of withholding tax has been remitted in the agriculture, commerce and industrial sectors.

Ahmad Jan Bilal, a representative of the Islamic Emirate leader’s office, at a Finance Ministry press event in Kabul said that the sales tax to attend private schools and religious seminaries and universities in 1402 were also remitted. 

According to Bilal, the decisions were made based on the decree of the Islamic Emirate's leader in a bid to support commerce and industry in the country.  

The event was attended by the second deputy of the Prime Minister, Mullah Abdul Salam Hanafi.  

“To support industry and agriculture and commerce, 7 percent of the withholding tax was remitted for them. Also, to support our industrial sector, the value added tax, which was four percent, was reduced by two percent,” he said. 

This comes as the Ministry of Economy (MoE) said that the Islamic Emirate supports the investors and that the domestic companies will be given priorities in extraction of mines.  

“This is the policy of the Islamic Emirate to trust these domestic traders and companies. We leave the doors open for the foreign companies but if they don’t come, we cannot bring them by force. We should not very much hope and expect it,” said Din Mohammad Hanif, acting Minister of Economy. 

Meanwhile, the Ministry of Industry and Commerce (MoIC), Nooruddin Azizi, urged the Afghan traders abroad to return to the country.  

“Any trader who comes to Afghanistan and invests here -- it is similar as if you pour a drop of water in the throat of an orphan or widow. This is my brotherly request,  that if anyone considers himself Afghan and Muslim and whoever love his/her country, come and invest in Afghanistan,” he said.  

“There is a need for improvement of commerce, industry, agriculture and transit in the country. Afghanistan is a central country,” said Mohammad Younus Momand, acting head of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI).

Hanafi also pledged that the Islamic Emirate will bring essential facilities for traders and industrial owners for passports and visas.