Sherkhan Port Capacity to Be Expanded to Boost Trade
A regular meeting of the Economic Commission, chaired by Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, Deputy PM for Economic Affairs, was held today (Tuesday, July 28, 2026) at the Marmarin Palace.
During the meeting, the Ministry of Transport and Aviation presented a number of proposals aimed at expanding trade with Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, and China through Sherkhan Port. Following discussion, the proposals were approved.
Under the approved proposals, the Ministries of Finance, Interior Affairs, and other relevant ministries and agencies will establish the necessary infrastructure at Sherkhan Port and expand the existing facilities. In coordination with Tajikistan, the port’s operating hours will also be extended to facilitate the movement of a greater number of commercial transport vehicles.
The Ministry of Finance was further instructed to allocate a budget and establish a logistics center at Sherkhan Port to provide customs, warehousing, cargo handling, and loading and unloading services.
The meeting also instructed the Ministry of Public Works to construct the necessary railway infrastructure within Afghanistan to operationalize the KTAI Corridor, an ECO transport corridor connecting Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, Afghanistan, and Iran.
In addition, it was decided that state-owned corporations would hand over their scrap steel to the National Development Corporation, which will process it into standard-compliant reinforcing steel bars (rebar) for use in major government development projects.
The meeting also approved 37 standards and 12 testing methods submitted by the Standards and Quality Authority. These standards and testing methods cover agricultural products, foodstuffs, pharmaceuticals, construction materials, telecommunications and electrical equipment, chemicals and plastics, medical equipment, and several other sectors. They have been developed in consideration of the country’s current conditions and international standards.
At the conclusion of the meeting, reports on a number of follow-up issues were presented, and the relevant institutions were provided with the necessary guidance.
The above decisions were referred to the Office of the Esteemed Amir al-Mu’minin, (May Allah Protect Him), for final approval.
