Addressing an international forum in Beijing, Deputy Minister of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock, Sadr Azam Usmani, said on Thursday that if the world wants to reduce poverty, it is better to start from Afghanistan.

Usmani emphasized that Afghanistan is now a secure country and its agriculture, mining, industry, and trade are growing.

“Let's invest in Afghanistan so that we can help not only Afghanistan but also one billion people in the world who are currently living in poverty,” he said at the 2024 Global Poverty Reduction and Development Forum.

Usmani also pointed to the ban on poppy cultivation in Afghanistan, saying that 20 years ago, Afghanistan was known as the largest producer of opium, but the Islamic Emirate reduced poppy cultivation to zero and now farmers are cultivating halal crops.

“If you want agriculture to grow, come invest in Afghanistan's agriculture sector and help Afghan farmers by implementing alternative livelihood programs, because poppy is a problem that affects not only Afghanistan but the whole world,” he said.

The High Commissioner of Maldives to Pakistan Mohamed Thoha in a meeting on Friday with Sardar Ahmad Shakeeb, acting ambassador of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan in Islamabad, said that his country wants firm and close relations with Afghanistan, Afghan embassy said in a statement.  

At the meeting, bilateral relations between the two “brotherly” and Muslim countries, trade relations between Maldives and Central Asian Countries through Afghanistan and related issues were discussed.

Ahmad Shakeeb stated that Afghanistan seeks constructive relations with all countries and is striving through its economy-focused policies, to transform Afghanistan into a regional connectivity hub.

Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB) officials say they first plan to set up electronic payments in large stores and oil stations in Kabul city and then in other big cities of the country.

DAB officials stated this system of payment can prevent the physical transaction of money.

They added that with electronic payments money circulation is prevented and the value of the afghani currency increases.

“Our effort is to have these machines in stores and oil stations in the first stage so that citizens can pay their transactions electronically,” said Haseebullah Noori, DAB spokesman.

Meanwhile, some industrialists said that when electronic payments become common, this will also increase business and on the other hand, services will be accelerated.

“This system has many benefits. One is that physical money is not used and the second is that it creates a facility for people. Thirdly, these funds are kept and consolidated in the country's banks, and the banks can invest in Afghanistan,” said Abdul Jabbar Safi, director of the Association of Industrialists.

DAB stated it will expand electronic payments first in the capital and then in big cities. Currently, the majority of transactions within the country are done with physical money.

However, this is not the case in other countries and all financial transactions are done through banks and electronic payments.