The CEO’s office on Monday said the private sector and the ministries of finance and justice will hold a conference in the near future on ways to find a solution to problems facing businessmen – especially in terms of paying tax.

They also said they will look at ways to improve trade and investment opportunities.

Jawid Faisal, deputy spokesman for the CEO, said the conference will be facilitated by the CEO Abdullah Abdullah.

He also said Kandahar traders have met with Abdullah where they discussed the tax law and possible solutions to their problems in this respect.

“The aim is to resolve the traders problems and provide them with more investment opportunities,” Faisal said.

The spokesman for the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI) meanwhile said a number of investors will disinvest if their tax problems are not solved.

“We are trying to speak to the president about our problems. If the problems are not addressed, some of the traders will stop trading,” Siam Pesarlay, spokesman of ACCI said.

Pesarlay also said government had promised the chamber that it will provide electricity to factories for at least eight hours a day – however, this has not happened and many factories face ongoing power cuts that can last for days.

According to some businessmen, however, one of the key reasons around the tax issue is that they have to pay tax to customs officials when bringing goods into the country – something they are not happy about.

They are also against the current income tax structure.