Business
Afghan economy gets $32 million cash boost in aid funding
Afghanistan’s Central Bank, Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB), took delivery on Monday of $32 million of funds in aid and transferred it immediately to Afghanistan International Bank (AIB).
In a series of tweets, the central bank welcomed the injection of cash into the economy and said: “The transit of the aforesaid shipment from the airport to the Afghanistan International Bank was facilitated by Da Afghanistan Bank.
“Da Afghanistan Bank will appreciate any humanitarian action that leads to the introduction of currency and assistance to the poor sections of society, and will do its part effectively,” DAB said.
The previous shipment of $19.2 million was delivered in December.
On December 22, the UN Security Council unanimously adopted a resolution clearing the way for aid to reach Afghans in desperate need of basic support.
At the time Martin Griffiths, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, described the Council’s passage of the resolution as “evidence of how seriously member states take the shocking levels of need and suffering in the country.”
The adoption followed months of discussions in the Council and broader international community about how to stave off economic collapse in Afghanistan following the country’s takeover by the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) in August and the subsequent freezing by Western countries of billions of dollars used by the previous government to ensure the provision of basic services.
Griffiths has said that humanitarian operations in Afghanistan are set to be the largest anywhere in the world in 2022, reaching some 22 million people.
The UN estimates that $2 billion will be needed to lift the incomes of all people up to the poverty line.
The press office of the Herat governor has announced the export of Afghanistan’s first shipment via the Khaf-Herat railway to Europe.
According to a statement from the office, the shipment includes 200 tons of dried fruits worth $1.2 million, which were exported to Turkey and Europe through the Khaf-Herat railway in the presence of Islam Jar, the governor of this province, and the Iranian Consul General.
The exported dried fruits in this shipment include pistachios, raisins, almonds, and pine nuts.
The statement added that over the past three months, more than 35,000 tons of goods have been transferred via the Khaf-Herat railway.
Business
Russia’s LPG exports to Afghanistan boom as Europe shuns it
The exports to Afghanistan, the main consumer of Russia’s LPG in the region, rose by 52% for the period to 71,000 tons.
Russia’s exports of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to Afghanistan and ex-Soviet states in Central Asia have jumped following introduction of European Union sanctions against Moscow at the end of 2024, industry sources said on Wednesday, Reuters reported.
The European Union’s sanctions against Russia’s LPG over the war in Ukraine took effect on December 20. The restrictions were proposed last year by Poland, one of Russia’s largest LPG importers.
LPG, or propane and butane, is mainly used as fuel for cars, heating and to produce other petrochemicals.
According to the industry sources, railway supplies of LPG from Russia’s plants, including the Kazrosgas joint venture with Kazakhstan, jumped to the region by 80% year on year in January – February to 140,000 metric tons, read the report.
The exports to Afghanistan, the main consumer of Russia’s LPG in the region, rose by 52% for the period to 71,000 tons.
Traders expect great scope for more supplies to Afghanistan, where annual demand for LPG is seen at around 700,000 tons per year.
Acting Minister of Industry and Commerce Nooruddin Azizi and Zhao Xing, the Chinese Ambassador to Kabul, met on Tuesday and discussed increasing Afghanistan’s exports to China, particularly pine nuts, pomegranates, and precious and semi-precious stones such as nephrite, onyx, lapis lazuli, and talc, the ministry said in a statement.
According to the statement the goal of the meeting was to facilitate direct exports to China in order to reduce transit costs and transportation of Afghan goods, as well as to address the importation of machinery needed for the country.
Azizi and Zhao have agreed to establish a joint working group for further coordination, expanding trade relations, and creating facilities for trade, with the aim of holding regular meetings, the statement read.
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