The Taliban interim government says traffic through the Sherkhan Bandar (Afghanistan) — Panji Pyon (Tajikistan) border crossing point (BCP) has increased unprecedentedly to either side over the past three years.
Arzu says export of goods through the mentioned has increased by 90 percent while import of goods through the Sherkhan Bandar – Panji Poyon BCP has increased by 60 percent.
The Taliban interim government sees the main reason for such a high increase in traffic through the Sherkhan Bandar – Panji Poyon BCP in rooting out corruption at the Afghan-Tajik customs border and reduction of customs and tax rates.
Matiullah Rohani, director of culture and information in Kunduz, says more than 2,300 trucks with goods proceeded through the Sherkhan Bandar – Panji Poyon BCP from September 20 to December 20, 2021; 893 of them drove from Afghanistan to Tajikistan and 1,413 trucks drove from Tajikistan to Afghanistan.
Over the reporting period of 2020, only 714 trucks proceeded through the Sherkhan Bandar – Panji Poyon BCP; 103 trucks drove from Afghanistan to Tajikistan and 631 trucks drove from Tajikistan to Afghanistan.
Meanwhile, according to Tajikistan’s official statistics, the bilateral trade between Tajikistan and Afghanistan over the first eleven months of 2021 valued at 82 million U.S. dollars, which is 26.1 percent more than in the same period of 2020.
