Afghan sectors of agriculture and industries have had less contribution to the country’s Gross Domestic Production throughout the recent years, Central Statistics Organisation (CSO) said Monday.
There has been fine progress in both sectors, the CSO said, however the sectors’ share in GDP - which has been increasing for the last ten years – was not as it was expected.
According to the organisation, services across the country have had the most contribution to Afghanistan’s GDP.
Figures from Central Statistics Organisation show that agriculture made 31.1 percent of the GDP in solar year of 1388 (March 2009 to March 2010), 27.8 percent in 1389 (March 2010 to March 2011), and 26.7 percent in 1390 (March 2011 to March 2012).
The industries, on the other hand, made 21.2 percent of the GDP in 1388, 20.6 percent in 1389, and 21.4 percent in 1390.
“In this case, the government is required to plot a policy based on these figures, in order to raise the involvement of agriculture by any possible means, and to encourage the agricultural products,” said Haseebullah Muwahed, Deputy Head of the CSO.
“We should not forget that the poppy cultivation as well plays an important role. If farmers are able to sell their products with higher prices they would not tend to cultivate poppy. Their cultivations of agricultural products will cause increase to agriculture’s share in our GDP,” he added.
This comes as the Ministry of Commerce and Industries has said it is putting together a policy to increase domestic products.
“Over the past 12 years, Ministry of Commerce and Industries has had no policy for the industries, and now that it has made one, sectors are specified to show which industries we need, and that how much tariff needs to be put on the imported raw materials to Afghanistan.
The commerce ministry has determined it,” said Waheedullah Ghazikhel, ministry’s spokesman.
“The Minister of Commerce and Industries believes that industries should grow and those involved in industries should be encouraged, so that Afghanistan could eventually become an industrial country.”
The Agriculture Ministry refused to comment to TOLOnews on the matter.