Afghanistan makes insurance of commercial areas mandatory

Kabul, Jan 6 : The Council of Ministers in its last meeting has ordered the mandatory insurance of all commercial centers in the country and directed the Ministry of Finance to oversee that all businesses are ensured within three months.

The decision comes after last week's devastating fire in Kabul's old commercial district that destroyed around 600 shops, inflicting heavy losses to merchants.

The Council has also ordered the Attorney General, the Ministry of Interior, the Kabul Governor and the city municipality to investigate the cause of the fire and draft a prevention plan.

Kabul's currency exchange association chief, Najibullah Akhtari, has expressed worries over the poor electrical wiring in most commercial buildings as a potential risk factor.

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SA/EN