Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty March 15, 2016 The United Nation’s special representative for Afghanistan has said the country’s national unity government faces five hurdles this year. Nicholas Haysom told the UN Security Council on March 15 that the Kabul government must tackle a contracting economy with low growth and high unemployment, an intensifying Taliban insurgency,
Michael Hughes: Not only did Washington’s $113 billion plus state-building endeavor fail to bring stability and good governance to Afghanistan, it neglected to put in safeguards against one of the most predictable financial collapses in history. It didn’t take a Nobel prize-winning economist to foresee that Afghanistan’s distorted “war economy” bubble would burst in the post-NATO
IRIN: When the United States withdrew around 60,000 soldiers just over a year ago, much of the money propping up the crippled economy left with them. Their departure was part of the end of a NATO mission that at its peak included 100,000 US troops and 30,000 from other nations. The mass withdrawal was scheduled years ago. But
Tehran, March 5, IRNA – Iranian businessmen who invest in Afghanistan and move their production lines to that country will receive customs exemption, said Afghan Minister of Trade and Industries Homayoon Rasa. At present, Afghanistan meets 16 percent of its needs from Iran, he said, reported Trend News Agency reported. ‘Afghanistan’s economy will benefit if
Khaama Press: Russia has agreed to turn a long-standing debt payable by Afghanistan into a non-refundable aid, the Afghan finance officials said Thursday. Finance Minister Eklil Ahmadi Hakimi welcomed and hailed Moscow’s commitment to strengthen and expand trade, economic and social relations between the two nations. Click here for more information (external link).
1TV: Afghanistan’s currency has fallen as much as 21 percent against the dollar, officials noted Sunday, blaming insecurity for the problem. Afghani has continued to fall over the past two years. A year ago, one dollar could be exchanged for 57 Afghanis, now it is traded at 69 per dollar. Click here to read more (external
Tolo News: Officials from the ministry of agriculture and irrigation have said that Afghanistan will harvest 4,000 kg of saffron this year as farmers across the country continue to cultivate the valuable herb. They said that this year saffron will be cultivated over 900 hectors of land in 24 provinces as government is taking measures to provide
The News (Pakistan): Afghanistan Pakistan Transit Trade Agreement (APTTA) is going to be revised in the light of the convention on the International Transport of Goods (TIR) to make the accord more appropriate for facilitating transit trade facilities between the two neighbouring countries. Click here to read more (external link).
Tolo News: The team tasked to investigate the controversial Smart City housing contract said Tuesday that it sent its report to President Ashraf Ghani one month ago but the Presidential Palace has not made public its details so far. The findings of the team reveal that the president’s former legal adviser Abdul Ali Mohammadi, Kabul Bank’s
Tolo News: Lawmakers from Badakhshan province said that the commander of an illegal armed group removed security troops responsible for the safety of a lapis lazuli mine out of Kiran-wa-Manjan district of the province in early 2014 and captured the mine. The lawmakers said that the commander and his armed men are illegally extracting the lapis lazuli