An Afghan company has unveiled a range of small trucks and passenger vans which it hopes will appeal to a local market give Afghans an alternative to imports, Reuter news agency reported on Wednesday.
The firm, Amin Noor, presented the vehicles at a ceremony in the capital Kabul.
The company particularly presented 11 different models in total, priced between $1,200 and $2,500. Amin Noor has produced 200 vehicles to date.
“The overall cost is much cheaper than those products we import to Afghanistan,” Economy Minister Mustafa Mastoor said during the ceremony, where white vans, trucks and cars were decorated in red ribbon. “We are confident that the Afghan market will welcome these type of products”
Some of the vehicles were electric and powered by rechargeable batteries, others by diesel.
For company manager Ahmad Zia Ahmadyar, the next phase for Amin Noor - which produces vehicles at its factory in Balkh province in the north of Afghanistan - was to reduce the number of parts that needed importing.
“After three years, we were able to produce up to 80% of the parts of these vehicles ourselves,” Ahmad Zia Ahmadyar said.
The company still imports parts for the engines, tires and glass for windows but hopes to produce those itself in the next five to 10 years.
