Abdul Qahar, head of Aqina's Customs Department, announced on Monday that the revenue of his office, located in the northwestern Faryab province, increased by 21 percent during the first six months of 2013.
According to available data, in the first six months of the current year Mr. Qahar's customs office, which lies on the border between Afghanistan and Turkmenistan, saw its revenues surpass $35 million.
Mr. Qahar cited the construction of the Aqina-Andkhoy highway, an increase in imports from Turkmenistan, and anti-corruption measures as some of the key reasons for the increase.
The Aqina-Andkhoy highway connects Afghanistan with Turkmenistan and other central Asian countries. One of the main products imported to Afghanistan along the highway is crude oil.
Mr. Qahar was proud of the increase, but said he thought the office would continue to do better. He confidence stemmed from the improvements he said he had seen in the business sector of Afghanistan in the past year. Foreign businesses are more confident investing in Afghanistan now, he explained.
Given the recent news of international mining companies efforts to get a foothold in the Afghan mining industry, as well as announcements from Emirates Airlines and Chevrolet about coming investments in the Afghan transportation industries, recent trends may indicate Mr. Qahar's optimism is well placed.
However, Mr. Qahar said there are some major problems with the Automated System for Customs Data (ASYCUDA) that need to be sorted out if his office, and others like it, are to perform their duties properly. The ASYCUDA is a computerized system designed by the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development (UNCTAD) to assist customs authorities all over the world to automate and control their core processes and obtain timely, accurate and valuable information to support government projections and planning.
"Despite the remarkable improvements, we still have problems. However, we are trying our best to overcome the challenges," said Mr. Qahar.
Customs officials added that a railway project is being planned which will connect Aqina with Turkmenistan and Mazar-e-Sharif. The officials believe that the project will have a strong positive impact on the Afghan economy.