KABUL(SW):Mohammad Ismayel Rahimi, a deputy minister at the Ministry for Economy, has said that some 36 percent of the population in Afghanistan live below poverty line and nearly 50 percent live below extreme poverty line.
He said that the ministry has carried out a study in a bid to reduce poverty.
Speaking at the second session of the poverty evaluation report in Afghanistan, he said that despite the relative economic growth in the past years, poverty has still not reduced significantly.
Abdullah Abdullah, Chief Executive Officer, who was also present at the session, said that armed conflict in the country was not the only cause of poverty but corruption, poor management, insufficient measures have also been main causes for increasing poverty.
He said that investment in human resources, capacity building, education and attention to agriculture would be effective in terms of poverty reduction.
Robert Resam, World Bank Enovy, said that Afghanistan is an agriculture country. He added that one third of the population lives below poverty line and will face serious challenges even by the smallest natural disasters.
Officials at the Ministry of Economy said that the purpose of preparing such analytical report was to identify citizens’ needs and develop effective programs, which could result in sustainable and comprehensive economic growth in Afghanistan.
ENDS
