KABUL (SW) – The collapse of the Republic, along with its other consequences for Afghanistan, also caused a crisis in the country’s economy.
The blocking of Afghanistan’s land holdings, the suspension of development aid from the international community, the suspension of 577 projects in various sectors and the collapse of a large number of small businesses have increased the level of poverty and exposed many citizens to severe hunger.
In the last two years, the United Nations and other foreign organizations have repeatedly said they are worried about the economic situation in Afghanistan and warned that the country is facing the worst humanitarian crisis.
However, the Ministry of Economy of the Islamic Emirate says that the economic situation in Afghanistan is improving. According to the statistics of this ministry, the GDP of Afghanistan in the second year of the rule of the Islamic Emirate has grown by negative 9.1%, which has improved by 11% compared to the negative 20.7 in the first year of the rule of the Islamic Emirate. But compared to the last year of the Republic, when Afghanistan’s GDP grew by 1.9%, it still shows a worse situation.
According to the Statistics and Information Department, Afghanistan exported 1,837 million dollars worth of goods in the last solar year, which shows a 137% increase with exports worth 1,850 million dollars in the year 1400. While in the last year, the value of Afghanistan’s exports reached 773.3 million dollars.
Meanwhile, Akhundzada Abdul Salam Javad, the spokesman of the Ministry of Industry and Trade, says that Afghanistan exported nearly two billion dollars worth of items in the second year of the Islamic Emirate rule. Akhundzada added: “We exported to 68 countries and imported from 89 countries. Our business is booming. Our connections with all countries are increasing. Last year, we exported and imported with neighboring countries.”
On the other hand, according to the claim of the Ministry of Economy, the amount of domestic and foreign investment in Afghanistan has increased in the past year compared to the first year of the rule of the Islamic Emirate. According to the statistics of this ministry, in the past year, contracts worth more than two billion dollars have been signed with several foreign companies in the field of mining and processing.
Abdul Rahman Habib, the spokesman of the Ministry of Economy, says: “Although the economic sanctions, the freezing of Afghanistan’s foreign exchange capital, drought and other challenges have left their impact on the Afghan economy, our leadership is still improving the situation. Supporting domestic production, Prioritizing the agriculture and mining sector, energy and industry are the main drivers of economic growth is at the center of our attention.”
The Ministry of Economy also says that the decrease in the inflation rate and the improvement of some economic indicators in the past year have led to the improvement of Afghanistan’s economic situation.
The World Bank also published a report earlier this year and said that the Afghan currency had better stability last year.
The central bank, Da Afghanistan Bank also says that the inflation rate in Afghanistan has now reached 2.4% while in last year it reached 15.4%. Haseeb Nouri, the spokesman of this bank, says: “We reached the monetary base in the last year. The value of the afghani against the US dollar has increased by 4.45 percent compared to last year, and we have brought the inflation rate to the desired level, which is an achievement.”
However, according to the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Aid (OCHA), the number of people in need in Afghanistan has increased to 28.3 million this year while in the first year of the rule of the Islamic Emirate, this figure reached 25 million.
Likewise, the United Nations Development Program announced in a report that the Islamic Emirate’s restrictions on working women could cost the country up to one billion dollars – equivalent to 5% of Afghanistan’s GDP.
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