In our present business ecosystem, where European Governments are making exporters lives easier than ever is not reasonable that exporters of industrial and commercial equipment still opt for the low quality and long term more expensive equipment sourced in India and China.

Afghanistan commercial premises and industrial plants should receive inspection and greater support by the Business Community in Afghanistan as poor quality equipment, faulty parts and unreasonable fake charges and fake debts by Indian and Chinese Companies repairing goods and sending more faulty parts are a ‘sub business’ of their business of supplying industrial equipment to Afghans.

The Banks will do what they have to do to recover their loans and investments and that will include seizing the houses and goods of Afghans that put all their money and effort purchasing industrial and commercial equipment below the average standard.

I find British and German industrial and commercial equipment very cheap and of above standard . One mobile solar freezer  ( family size use , bigger as a washing machine) can be purchased for as much as £600 in British – German shops like OFF GRID EUROPE . Often contracts include free customer support , cheaper replacement parts within a certain period of the contract and lifetime use of quality products ( because German and British products are that good!).

STECA PF 166-H REFRIGERATOR SOLAR FRIDGE/FREEZER is £660 excl taxes but other shops sell it slightly cheaper . Off Grid Europe is advantageous because they are based in the UK and in Germany.

The UK Government has services dedicated exclusively to supporting new and established exporters and these services offer benefits like free training, tax rebates and export exemptions.

Export is Great is an initiative by the UK Government Department for International Trade. The service provides all benefits mentioned above and much more.

Afghan Expats and International Investors can benefit equally and so can Afghan producers if common sense prevails and bad quality products sold to Afghans are boycotted or face competition from people with initiative and love for the country.

A. Brito

Afghanistan UK Bridge Magazine has a new Guest Editor for January 2019 . He is based in Kabul and works as a radio presenter and journalist.  He is local and does all his shopping and business errands in Kabul. Here is his short article about the most popular location in the city, the Mosque Pol E Khesti. All ways converge to this business area.

One Mosque and uncountable addresses!

Pol E Khesti Mosque is in the capital of Afghanistan. The most popular and common place in Kabul city, the place which have also the meaning heart of Kabul city.

This Mosque is near to Kabul River in Kabul city, it have located from the old years in the central point of Kabul city. Around the Pol E Khesti Mosque are various and dissimilar supermarkets, hotels, special living places for passengers, roads, parking lots and some other places are. From all sides of Afghanistan when people come to Kabul or crossing from Kabul to other side of the country; once a time they must meet this Mosque because this is the central area and central point of Kabul city, this area is as a special bridge for all areas and districts of Kabul province; some time for all Afghanistan too.

People who need and want to come from other provinces of Afghanistan to Kabul or need and want to go from one side of Afghanistan to other side by Kabul way; once a time they see and they look forward the Pol E Kheshti Mosque and they cross this area without any hope, because in this area where is location of Pol E Khesti Mosque: here is all best needs and best things of life, by other word this area is the central point of Kabul city.

Pol E Khesti Mosque is near to presidential palace of Afghanistan in Kabul city, around this Mosque is the area which have the huge and unique most beautiful trade centers and trade places which are not being in other parts of Afghanistan. Front of the Pol E Khesti Mosque is a wide road nearby to Kabul River, which have small shops besides the road, at the right side of Pol E Khesti Mosque is a wide square, which have much bus stops and parking lots from various  areas and to various areas; this square connect the most areas and districts of Kabul province; also this square connect Kabul to other provinces such as Logar, Nangrahar, Paktia, Khost, Wardak, Kapisa, Paktika, Laghman, Baghlan and some other provinces too. Many various huge number of trade centers and supermarkets, such as carpets, travel agencies, foods, dry and fresh fruits, Tailors & clothes, fabrics, jackets and scarfs , shoes and watches, special hotels, butcher shop, and some others big markets are behind of Pol E Khesti Mosque. At the left side of this Mosque are the most popular and huge number of markets of gold, banks, exchanges money, unique hotels, and some other best and big markets are which are not being without this area in all Afghanistan,

One young boy who putted pens in one small bag for sale; which is made from the threads of silk, he walking around the Pol E Khesti Mosque to find for pens customers and clients.

He says; “Every day before 8:00am I am coming here to sell pens until 7:00pm and the dark and cold evening I go to home back, during the day when I become bored then I going to Pol E Kheshti Mosque for worship and for pray; in the public gate of the Mosque people buy from me much pens.”

The huge number of people are coming from all sides of Afghanistan to this area where is Pol E Kheshti Mosque, they coming for works, selling, buying and for some other trade deals in various times.

About the published year of Pol E Kheshti Mosque I interviewed and asked about 30 people, with some local interviews with various people who is in age 40-70 and know about Pol E Kheshti Mosque, most of them told me that the real date of published of Pol E Kheshti Mosque is not correct in our information it mean the publish date of this Mosque is not in them minds and study but they believe about this Mosque that this Mosque is from very old years, much people don’t have the publish date of this Mosque, but For the people of Afghanistan this area and this Mosque is most famous and likely; this area and Mosque have deep and unique place in the hearts of the people of Afghanistan: they use this area and this Mosque for much various and dissimilar  addresses!

By Mahmodulhassan Alokozay

  Parents sending their children abroad make extensive researches of Boarding Schools and  how to go round the issue of Visas and National requirements of the host country .I briefly review the most important Middle East and British websites and public institutions providing reviews, advise and support to parents preparing to send their children to residential schools abroad.

EdArabia offers complete reviews of Educational establishments in the Middle East. The site features the Educational Establishment details , performance rankings and parents can post their reviews below the school page. If you are considering enrolling your child at a Boarding school in the Middle East than this site will be just ideal for your .

I find this website very useful to parents considering sending their children to Boarding schools in the Middle East and I am very impressed with the quality of Education that money can buy.  I would rank the  Swiss International Scientific Private, residential school in Dubai as the best residential school for parents committed in providing their children the best possible education abroad.

You can access the school boarding school brochure here. SWISS INTERNATIONAL BOARDING SCHOOL BROCHURE

EdArabia reviews does not provide the full service of help and advise that parents in Afghanistan might consider beneficial to them because it lacks insight into which Boarding schools are familiar with Afghanistan culture and can accommodate the children needs.

The UK Boarding Schools institution on the other hand , has an extensive experience of providing support and advice to parents abroad and list all  Boarding schools. The fact that is a well known public institution also adds to that element of trust that all parents are looking for when making the well informed choice of where to send their children .

The British Council in Afghanistan can advise parents on finding additional funding to place their children in a British Residential Educational establishment and how to choose an appropriate UK Education Agent. The British Council explains the difference between State and Maintained Boarding school using the child nationality and funding as a distinction element ,and highlight that in Afghanistan what is called private school is called public schools in the UK.

Bear in mind that many Boarding schools called private schools in Afghanistan and public schools in the UK  do recruit extensively in Asia and in the Middle East! Also, that traditional schools like Harrow Boarding schools expanded internationally and now hold colleges in Asia .

Anderson Education and other private Education advisers are publicising the current tour of 30 UK Boarding Schools Representatives abroad. We had two expositions last week in the Middle East and we are waiting for announcements of further locations. You can check the tour locations and dates at Anderson Education website.

Sending your children abroad will prove better that sending them to one of the four current Military Academies in Afghanistan and hopefully by the time they achieve puberty or adulthood , Afghanistan is already in peace and working out the difficult moments that countries facing reconciliation battles have to endure to sustain Peace within their borders.

A. Brito

Tajik family in the background of the walls of the house – the grandmother, mother, daughter

Portrait of a young Tajik families on the background of pistachio woodlands.

Grandmothers are an unseen and unheard powerful force in Afghanistan work market and in the near future their value is due to increase as women are moving increasingly fast to the business world. Husbands having to migrate to Turkey, Iran and Tajikistan or having to support husbands looking for work are relevant factors but so is the fact that many women trained by the UN Nations Funds are not finding employed work and Afghan Expats and International Investors are not engaging in having their products sourced from Afghanistan as it would be expected.

When it comes to promptness to source their products from Afghanistan, Afghan Expats are being surpassed by Chinese, Pakistani and Tajikistanis.

While Pakistani and Chinese are more prompt to high volume exportation of natural resources, Tajikistanis are taking advantage of Tajiks entrepreneurial spirit and consumer demand in commercial spots like Mazar-e-Sharif, in Faizabad and Kunduz.

Currently Tajikistan have three Consulates in Afghanistan to provide Consular services and general assistance to Tajikistanis in Mazar-e-Sharif, Fayzabad and Kunduz.

No Afghan Expat Commercial Enterprise exists in these Commercial areas and considering that Afghanistan is a member of the World Trade Centre and Afghans could easily source their products out of Afghanistan, this raises serious questions as to the business initiative of Afghans abroad.

Perhaps the Taliban ambitions towards places like Fayzabad, with access to water and unemployed fit working force might be a deterrent to Afghan Expats but the Government forces have successfully secured the Taliban exit of the local villages back in May 2018.

The SCORED project implementation in the region between Afghanistan and Tajikistan and Uzbekistan borders will fund many businesses, bazars and infrastructures projects between the three countries like bridge constructions and funding of transportation businesses.

Priority will be given to women businesses, small commercial enterprises and the production of consumption goods.

Afghan Expats can benefit from these funds – while they are available!! -by submitting projects with Banks recipients of Funds to cover Trade Finance. Afghan women in the borders between the three countries are in serious need of businesses and international investors abroad willing to source their products into Europe and the US.

If the Afghan Expat take the first step this will increase the value of the invisible powerful force that Grandmothers are proving to be in helping Afghan women succeed as active workers and business women in Afghanistan.

 A.Brito

Shops like Saneens, an online Pakistani shop sell considerable amount of Afghan Jewellery, Etsy and Ebay have their fair of dodgy jewellery sellers selling Afghan Jewellery , yet Afghan Women in the UK are a a high factor demand in a market with no supply .

The mainstream media allocates considerable space and time to Blue Mountain jewellery suppliers in the UK , and two famous modern Westernised Afghan designers  , the supply chain exists yet the demand for traditional heavy silver jewellery does not meet a supply offer .

Afghan women in Britain looking for authentic Afghan silver and gold jewellery will not find that jewellery in Amazon or eBay   and feel shy to ask relatives in Afghanistan  and Germany.

What is it that is keeping Afghan suppliers of heavy silver and gold from approaching Jewellers  like Tous?

Vermeil Silver Dinah Round Ring with Lapis Lazuli   £189

Vermeil Silver Dinah Round Bracelet  £330

Or a shop fashionably known for selling Lapis Jewellery and Clothe items like Net-A- PORTER?

Mini Galaxy Star 18-karat gold, lapis lazuli and diamond earrings £1,610

Or finally a shop like Modus Operandi that sells extensively to Saudi Women in the UK?

EXCLUSIVE

Leal DaccarettM’O Exclusive Lapislazuli Caftan

Color

Blue (Only 1 Left)

£3,468

 

Jenny DeeLapis Lazuli “Gratitude” Mandalic Necklace

Color

Blue

£900

The perception that Afghan Jewellery is ethnic rather than a product in need of supply in the UK high end shops is what is stopping Afghan Expats and International Exporters of approaching these shops official buyers on Linkedin or other professional or B2B platforms and making a decisive move that will bring profit to their business and above all meet Afghan women needs of traditional authentic heavy silver and gold jewellery.

Are you able to meet this market demand?

A. Brito

Bank E Millie Afghan and Azizi Bank are offering Letters of Credit , Loans to cover expenses like payment of goods, staff wages, purchase of machinery and equipment for production purposes and if you are planning to export and import from Afghanistan then their Performance , Bids and Advance Guarantees might prove ideal for you to secure the payment of goods or for your exporter to prove to you that they are capable of meeting your demand and if not the Bank will step in with reimbursement.

If you are not familiar with Credit and Trade Finance Vocabulary Azizi Bank website features a Page exclusively to people like you. Their definitions of the main Credit and Financial Tools are followed with a list of documents usually required when attending an appointment at the Branch of your choice.

The Bank announced today via social media that provides a specific time of loan to businesses in need to pay their employees wages.

The unrest of last night and early morning in several points of the country are demanding more security in certain regions under attack by terrorists, however the world turns according to the needs of production and demand for goods to cover our basic and secondary needs. Such is the law of this big market where we live in , so while some battle with security others battle with the clock ticking to meet their employees wages, secure more markets and secure our needs. Businesses are one of the most important pillars in Afghanistan private sector and hopefully these and other commercial credit initiatives will multiply. Join us next time to review more Credit options available in Afghanistan.

A.Brito

BANK MILLIE IRAN FINANCIAL REVIEW

A Business Magazine connecting Afghan Expats and International Investors with Afghanistan. Published Bi Monthly and available on Apple platform via Magzter and Issuu.

Ethically committed to promoting Afghanistan from a positive point of view .Every issue features unique business opportunities and insight into Afghanistan economy.