The president’s deputy spokesman, Dawa Khan Minapal, on Monday said if domestic factories can produce and provide the necessary goods and services for government departments, 25 percent of government purchases will be of domestic products.

According to Minapal, the president has asked the Afghanistan Industries Association to prepare a list of domestic products and based on the list, defense, interior, higher education and education ministries will use domestic products.

“The president has told craftsmen if they produce goods of a standard quality, then the ministries of interior, defense and higher education will buy domestic products and services,” he said.

Afghanistan Industries Association meanwhile said currently Afghanistan is self-sufficient in 19 manufacturing sectors and the list will be submitted to the president in the near future.

“We assure our people and government that industries status is good and in 19 manufacturing sectors we are self-sufficient,” said Sakhi Ahmad Paiman, head of Afghanistan Industries Association.

“Special attention is paid to domestic products and in 20 percent of domestic products we are self-reliant or about to become self-reliant,” said Musafir Qoqandi, the spokesman for the ministry of commerce and industries.

Currently more than 2,000 big and small factories are active in the country and according to the industries association; these factories have had good achievements in producing shoes, beverages, food, carpets, dishes, plastic tools and printing.