Ars: As a country that has been ravaged by war, terrorism, and mass corruption for the last 30 years, Afghanistan seems like the least likely site for technological development. However, following the American-led invasion of the country, Kabul’s basic infrastructure was quickly upgraded as expats and foreign military powers moved in. Click here to read more
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty April 9, 2016 The Asian Development Bank is confident that it can overcome by 2020 the challenges of building a $10-billion gas pipeline through Afghanistan’s most violent areas. Shareholders of the planned Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India (TAPI) project agreed on April 7 to invest $200 million in studies and engineering
1TV: An Afghan cement plant on Tuesday recommenced cement manufacturing after remaining shut for 20 years. Jabal-u-Siraj cement plant which is located in central Parwan province restarted producing cement after having been shut for 20 years, an official release said. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News: Officials at the Ministry of Finance (MoF) said Tuesday that two companies have completed a purchase process and one will soon be granted the go ahead to purchase the New Kabul Bank. According to officials, one company is a local firm and the other is Pakistan’s Muslim Commercial Bank. They said that one of
Tolo News: A number of civil society activists and residents of Nangarhar have raised concerns over the use of Pakistani Rupees instead of Afghanis in the province’s markets and have criticized local government for not putting a stop to this. They said more than 90 percent of Nangarhar residents use Pakistani Rupees in their daily business transactions
Khaama Press: The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has said Afghanistan may contain large resources of undiscovered potash. Potash is produced worldwide at amounts exceeding 30 million metric tons per year, mostly for use in fertilizers. The term “potash” refers to potassium-bearing, water-soluble salts derived from evaporite basins, where seawater dried up and precipitated various salt
VOA News Ayaz Gul March 22, 2016 ISLAMABAD—With several recent high-level visits to Islamabad from global trading partners, including nearby Iran, Pakistani officials are indicating they want to increase business with Afghanistan. The officials say they have taken significant steps in recent years to facilitate landlocked Afghanistan’s trade, but insist the neighboring country’s opposition to
Tolo News: Based on figures provided by the Central Statistics Organization, there has been a 50 percent decrease in Afghanistan’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) growth as compared with the past year. Officials at the organization said the fall of the Afghani against foreign currencies has also led to a drop in the per capita income of
Bloomberg: The United Nations has set a low bar for success in Afghanistan this year: Survival. A fragile economy, intensifying insurgency, and fractious political elite are among the main challenges facing President Ashraf Ghani, Nicholas Haysom, the UN’s top envoy in Kabul, told the Security Council in New York. Pressure to win enough foreign aid and achieve
ISLAMABAD, March 16 (Xinhua) — Turkmenistan President, Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov, arrived in Islamabad Wednesday on a two-day official visit to Pakistan, officials said. Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif received the guest at a military airbase near Islamabad. A 21 gun salute was given as the visiting President alighted from his plane. During the visit, he will hold talks