The Taliban Are Offering Tax Exemptions and a 1% Tariff to Attract Indian Investment
Tawazon – Nooruddin Azizi, the Taliban’s Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce, announced a new economic plan during his visit to New Delhi aimed at attracting Indian investment to Afghanistan, The Times of India reported.
According to the report, Azizi said the Taliban will grant a five year tax exemption for new domestic industries and a 1% tariff on raw materials and machinery imports. He claimed these incentives could encourage more Indian companies to invest.
“To support domestic industry, we are giving a preferential 1% tariff on raw materials and machinery and a five-year tax exemption for new industries that are set up in Afghanistan,” Azizi presented the plan at a PHD Chamber of Commerce and Industry (PHDCCI) event in Delhi.
Azizi highlighted several priority sectors for investment, including cement, rice processing, textiles, pharmaceuticals, mining, and energy.He urged Indian companies to take advantage of what he called “new opportunities” and support Afghanistan’s economic recovery.
The Times of India notes that Azizi also asked New Delhi to help resolve transit challenges, especially by keeping the Chabahar port trade route open, which he described as vital for Afghanistan’s current economic needs. He added that the Delhi–Kabul air corridor could also be expanded to facilitate faster movement f goods between the two countries.
According to the report, these proposals are part of the Taliban’s broader effort to strengthen trade relations with India, which remains a key export market for Afghanistan and one of its largest suppliers of raw materials.