FARYAB, Afghanistan — A trade exhibition in the northern province of Faryab showcasing the country’s domestic products, titled the “Qosh Tapa Expo,” entered its second day on Tuesday.
The Taliban-led commerce ministry said that the event, which began Monday, features 42 booths displaying locally produced goods.
The expo aims to promote domestic products, encourage Afghans to support local industries, boost economic circulation, and provide support for farmers and industrialists, the ministry said.
Organized in collaboration with a private company and Afghanistan’s private sector, the event underscores efforts to stimulate the nation’s economy. However, it comes at a time when Afghanistan is grappling with rising poverty, a severe economic crisis, and declining gross domestic product following the Taliban’s return to power in 2021.
Economists attribute Afghanistan’s deteriorating economy to several factors, including the flight of significant capital from the country, reduced household purchasing power, and declining domestic production. The expo is seen as a bid to encourage local commerce amid these challenges.
The event also draws attention to the Taliban’s policies restricting women’s participation in public life. While no official statement has been made regarding women’s presence at the Faryab expo, similar events in other provinces have seen women barred from participating.
For instance, at a three-day domestic products expo held earlier this month in Kandahar, local sources reported that the Taliban prevented women from attending, despite the participation of representatives from 150 factories nationwide.
The Taliban’s Ministry for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice has imposed sweeping restrictions on women’s public activities, including prohibitions on audible voices, displaying faces, and even reciting prayers loudly in some areas.
