Iran-Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce President Questions Taliban’s Fuel Quality Testing Capabilities

The President of the Iran-Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce has criticized the Taliban’s ability to properly test the quality of fuel, following the return of Iranian fuel tankers from Afghanistan.

Mahmoud Siadat raised doubts about the Taliban’s proficiency in assessing fuel quality and highlighted the possibility of errors and deficiencies in their testing procedures.

Siadat explained, “The reality is that Afghanistan lacks adequate laboratory facilities, a problem that existed not only in the Taliban’s interim government but also during the Republic’s rule.

“Reports from the National Standardization Directorate of the Taliban show that in the past month alone, they have returned 243 “substandard” oil tankers to Iran from the ports of Nimruz and Farah.

Contrary to the Taliban’s claims, Siadat deemed Iranian export fuel as “quality” and stated, “Not only has high-quality fuel been returned by Iran, but other countries including Turkmenistan have also experienced returns.” He emphasized that Afghan buyers procure the fuel themselves, and no Iranian fuel is transported to Afghanistan.

Siadat also highlighted the lack of a comprehensive and logical system in many sectors of Afghanistan, including the country’s laboratories.

Moreover, he disclosed ongoing negotiations with the Taliban, proposing that they either equip their own laboratories or accept Iran’s offer to conduct testing in Iranian facilities according to their desired specifications before sending goods.

Siadat stressed that the Taliban must either upgrade their laboratories or accept Iran’s proposal.