Afghanistan: False Economies in Herat

“It’s a risky business – some people might get a good one, others won’t,” Abdul Zaher said as he cast a critical eye over the refrigerators on Ghor Darwaza Street in the centre of Herat, in western Afghanistan.

Abdul Zaher is an especially careful shopper as he has been burned before, buying a fridge that turned out not to work.

“I’ve spent 300 [US] dollars on buying refrigerators. If I’d put all that money together at the start, I could have bought a new one,” he said.

Ghor Darwaza Street is the main shopping street for second-hand domestic appliances and other items imported into Afghanistan – everything from computers, televisions and fridges that may or may not work, to used tyres. The street is full of potential buyers, despite the risks.

Other popular second-hand imports include cars and motorcycles and used clothing.

Mohammad Naser Kargar, deputy head of customs in Herat, explained that imports of second-hand items had grown massively because the duty payable on them is 40 per cent less than on new ones.

As many shoppers find out to their costs, these cheap goods often turn out more expensive in the end.

Samia Walizada, a student at Herat University, saved for six months to buy a computer.

“When I bought it for 100 dollars from the used-goods shop, the owner wouldn’t let me check it, and when I went home, it didn’t work. I took it to a workshop to get it fixed, but they told me to throw it away because it was unusable.”

So Walizada did just that, adding one more unwanted item to the city’s rubbish problem.

“Afghan traders import items that would be deemed as rubbish in the countries where they were made, and which would cost a lot to get rid of,” Abdul Qayum Afghan, director of Herat’s environment protection department, said. “Since they are both used and unusable, buyers throw them away here, causing major environmental problems. Many refrigerators and air conditioners contain a dangerous gas called CFC, which if it is released into the atmosphere, does irreversible harm to the environment.”

Afghan said pollution levels in Herat had increased by three per cent over the last two years, creating a looming environmental threat.

“We conceived a commission that would control and prevent such products, and we sent the plan to the capital. The plan was to invite traders and talk to them about the dangers these items pose, and convince them not to import them,” he said. “But our head office didn’t allow us to do it. They argued that people in Afghanistan were poor, so it was necessary to import such items. So we ended up not setting up the commission.”

Zia Mohtasep, a doctor, warned of the dangers of contagious skin diseases posed by second-hand clothing.

“We’re always sending a team round the city telling shopkeepers and second-hand dealers to wash items properly before sale, but unfortunately they don’t pay any heed,” he said.

Kargar said it was not the customs service’s job to deal with the health or environmental impact of goods crossing the border. “Our job is to take the duties, that’s all,” he said.

Aziz Ahmad Mohammadi, a trader in second-hand goods, argued that such items were superior in quality to brand-new goods manufactured in China, and that in any case most of those who bought them were poor.

“It's a free market in Afghanistan, and any trader can import whatever he wants,” he added.

Nasima Hamdard is an IWPR trainee reporter in Herat.