Radio Sahar: Afghan-Iranian exhibition of products opens in Herat

Excerpt from report by Afghan female-orientated community Radio Sahar on 29 October

[Presenter] The second exhibition of Iranian products opened in Herat today. The five-day exhibition is being held conducted at the Mawlana-e Balkh Hall [near the Herat provincial government offices]. According to officials, approximately 100 Iranian and Afghan companies are taking part in this exhibition. My colleague Hamed Azad, who had a tour of the exhibition, is reporting on this:

[Correspondent] This is the second exhibition of Iranian industrial products in Herat Province over the past two years. During his inaugural speech on the first day of the exhibition, Herat Deputy Governor Mir Abdol Khaleq called on foreign companies to improve the quality of the products they export to Afghanistan. He voiced concern over the low quality of products imported to the country. At the same time, Gholam Qader Akbar, head of the Herat Chambers of Commerce, states the exhibition is providing a good opportunity for both the Iranian and Afghan companies to compete with each other in terms of quality. A number of individuals are concerned that displaying some of the Iranian products, which are identical to the ones produced by the Afghan companies, could have a negative impact on the production of Afghan companies. Mr Akbar says:

[Qader Akbar] We have the same products here, for instance drinking water and soft drinks. We have a high quality of drinking water and soft drinks approved by the Ministry of Health. As a result, the exhibition will be an opportunity in terms of a constructive competition [between the Iranian and Afghan companies] to improve their design, decoration and marketing. In this way, our factory owners and industrialists will be encouraged to produce high quality products and improve marketing.

[Correspondent] However, the investors think about the financial benefits of the exhibition. According to Esmatollah, the owner of a private company in Herat, most of the traders have difficulty in choosing and importing Iranian products, but the exhibition will be an opportunity for them to have further options.

[Esmatollah] They will be able to take a closer look at all the manufactures produced in Iran and they can examine them in terms of quality, quantity and price. This is itself a financial benefit and a good chance for the traders to have more options inside the country and get ride of confusion they have in choosing products in the Iranian markets.

[Correspondent] Anwar Shah Yusofi, an economist and head of the state-owned banks in western Afghanistan, believes that holding such exhibitions can be a good experience for the Afghan Chambers of Commerce as well as traders and investors. He states the exhibition is also of importance in terms of marketing.

[Passage omitted: official's remarks]

[Correspondent] Mr Akbar says they are holding an exhibition of the Afghan products in Mashhad, Iran, in the near future. Nevertheless, he did not add when the exhibition will be held. In addition, the Iranian companies were supposed to open a specific exhibition of their own products, but Mr Akbar says he had disagreed with the idea and asserted the Afghan companies should have a part in the exhibition.

The five-day exhibition includes 50 stalls of the Iranian companies and 50 from the Afghan companies.

[Description of Source: Herat Radio Sahar in Dari -- local independent radio station in Herat run mainly by women. IAP20071029950088 1230 GMT 29 Oct 07]