The Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment said that the process of verifying the quality of petroleum products at the Islam Qala, Torghundi, and Aqina border crossings has slowed down, which has caused challenges for traders.

Jan Aqa Nawid, the spokesperson for the chamber, said that currently dozens of fuel-carrying trucks are stuck at the Herat customs.

According to the spokesperson, the delay in releasing the fuel trucks poses risks such as fire hazards.
Jan Aqa Nawid, told TOLOnews: "They should conduct the quality test of the fuel products as quickly as possible and release these tankers sooner so that they can reach the companies and fuel stations where they need to be distributed."

However, the Ministry of Finance said that the issues related to verifying the quality of petroleum products at Herat customs have been resolved, and efforts are ongoing to speed up the process.

Ahmad Wali Haqmal, the spokesperson for the Ministry of Finance, told TOLOnews: "The technical issue that existed in the quality verification process at Herat customs has been resolved. Now, officials in this department are working in 16-hour shifts to control and process the incoming fuel to the country, and they are working to prevent any limitations or delays."

Abdul Shukor Hadawal, an economic expert, shared this view: "There is no doubt that the process of quality verification takes a long time—about 20 to 25 days of work, which affects our traders. They face increased taxes, and their business time is consumed."

Afghanistan imports most of its needed fuel from several Central Asian countries such as Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan, Russia, and Iran. In some cases, the imported petroleum products, due to poor quality, have been sent back to their country of origin.