KABUL (Khaama Press): The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) released a report seeking to understand the challenges facing private sector actors and trade in Afghanistan, focusing on the supply of essential goods.
The NRC claimed that the report was prepared based on 25 anonymized interviews in mid-2022 with a range of private sector, development, and banking actors operating in or with Afghanistan.
The organization stressed the private sector of the country. It said that since the extension of the ban on female aid workers to the UN, which risks the delivery of emergency life-saving humanitarian aid, the role of the private sector is even more critical for the recovery of the Afghanistan economy.
The document emphasized the solid private sector’s role and sustainability besides humanitarian assistance. “Humanitarian aid alone cannot meet the needs of the millions of Afghans who have lost their jobs and been forced to take on huge debts and sell their possessions just to be able to buy food needed for survival,” said Neil Turner, NRC’s country director in Afghanistan. “We must reverse this devastating economic disaster. A stable economy, thriving private sector, and the reintroduction of development programmes are important to complement the work of humanitarian organizations.”
The report said, Since the Taliban returned to power in 2021, international actors have pursued political and economic isolation policies towards Afghanistan in reaction to the Taliban’s increasingly restrictive governance, which has contributed to the current financial crisis and the population’s reliance on humanitarian assistance. More than 28 million people are now on the brink of survival.
“We must educate overseas companies and banks that Afghanistan is not under sanctions. There is a real lack of understanding about this – particularly among key sectors in our main export and import markets,” said an executive of a large agricultural firm in Afghanistan, reported by NRC.
Several women have left the Afghan workforce due to the Taliban’s attitude towards women. The Afghan people and the country’s economic potential are significantly hampered by these constraints, providing significant logistical and moral issues for international aid organizations.
According to the organization, establishing measures to stabilize and support Afghanistan’s economy for the benefit of the people is the way to address the current economic crisis in the country.
“NRC calls on major governments, financial institutions, UN agencies and relevant regional actors to urgently convene to establish measures to stabilize and support Afghanistan’s economy for the benefit of all the Afghans.
However, according to Afghan analysts, without a legitimate and inclusive government, including women, and ethnic and religious groups, sustainable development would not be possible.
In addition, trust will not be earned to attract Afghan Diasporas and foreign investment to the country, and meaningful security and stability with the support of the people, which is the core of every sustainable and long-lasting development, will not be achieved.
Afghanistan must be open to business despite sanctions: NRC
