Afghan banking system returning to normal: Central Bank

KABUL (TOLONews): The Central Bank said that the banking system in the country is getting back to normal levels, and urged citizens to remain supportive of the banking sector in the country.
Haseebullah Noori, press director of Da Afghanistan Bank (Central Bank), said that the banking sector is out of the crisis now. The Central Bank instructed citizens to open their bank accounts and said they can withdraw their money without any restrictions.
“Those who want to open a new bank account, they can do so whenever, if they want to, without any restrictions. There has been further work done in this regard,” he said.
However, residents of Kabul expressed frustration and said that they are facing challenges in withdrawing their money from the banks. “If the money is not withdrawn on time, and the client has a patient who is in a critical situation, the patient might die because they need money to be withdrawn,” said Jamal Nasir, a resident of Kabul.
“Those who want to have a business, they need more money, but the bank doesn’t provide more than 20,000 Afs,” said Fawad, a resident of Kabul.
The economists believe that improvement of political relations and attracting foreign investment can solve the banking challenges in the country. “To solve this problem, first of all it is necessary to improve Afghan banking relations with other countries. Second, the ground must be paved for internal and foreign investment in the country as well for the improvement of political relations with other countries,” said Darya Khan, an economist.
According to the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI), the Afghan traders have been facing challenges in transferring money abroad over the last year. The ACCI said that the problems have yet to be solved.