KABUL (SW): The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation (MoRR) said on Tuesday Afghans residing abroad have sent some 7 billion dollars worth of remittances in the year 2016.
Said Hussein Balkhi, Minister for Refugees and Repatriation, said every year Afghans residing abroad send money to their families in the country, but last year this amount soared to 7 billion dollars, mainly through 'Hawala' which is the informal money transfer system.
He cited World Bank (WB) figures that estimate 3 billion dollars worth of remittances are sent to Afghanistan on yearly basis. According to the minister, despite the fact that the ‘Hawala’ system is illegal, it is still helping the local economy. He said efforts are underway to decrease reliance on ‘Hawala’ system.
Many Afghan refugees returned home from neighboring countries, but some 5 million are still believed to be living in host countries.
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