Sunday 27 February 2011
excited news.........
current updates:
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$29.81 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109
$27.38 billion (2009 est.)
$22.34 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$16.63 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
8.9% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6
22.5% (2009 est.)
3.4% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,000 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 212
$1,000 (2009 est.)
$800 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 31%
industry: 26%
services: 43%
note: data exclude opium production (2008 est.)
Labor force:
15 million (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 78.6%
industry: 5.7%
services: 15.7% (FY08/09 est.)
Unemployment rate:
35% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 183
40% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line:
36% (FY08/09)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
13.3% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 214
20.7% (2008 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
15% (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
14.92% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$3.943 billion (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 100
$2.819 billion (31 December 2008)
Stock of broad money:
$4.149 billion (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 125
$2.915 billion (31 December 2008)
Stock of domestic credit:
$363.6 million (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166
$20.06 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
opium, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins
Industries:
small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, apparel, food-products, non-alcoholic beverages, mineral water, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
285.5 million kWh (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 168
Electricity - consumption:
231.1 million kWh (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 175
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
230 million kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116
Oil - consumption:
5,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138
Oil - imports:
4,404 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
Natural gas - production:
30 million cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
Natural gas - consumption:
30 million cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 108
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
Natural gas - proved reserves:
49.55 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
Current account balance:
-$2.475 billion (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160
$85 million (2008 est.)
Exports:
$547 million (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164
$603 million (2008 est.); note - not including illicit exports or reexports
Exports - commodities:
opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems
Exports - partners:
US 26.47%, India 23.09%, Pakistan 17.36%, Tajikistan 12.51% (2009)
Imports:
$5.3 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109
$4.5 billion (2007)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and other capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products
Imports - partners:
Pakistan 26.78%, US 24.81%, India 5.15%, Germany 5.06%, Russia 4.04% (2009)
Debt - external:
$2.7 billion (2008/2009)
country comparison to the world: 134
$8 billion (2004)
Exchange rates:
afghanis (AFA) per US dollar - 50.23 (2009), 50.25 (2008), 50 (2007), 46 (2006), 47.7 (2005), 48 (2004)
(Facts from the CIA website)
GDP (purchasing power parity):
$29.81 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109
$27.38 billion (2009 est.)
$22.34 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP (official exchange rate):
$16.63 billion (2010 est.)
GDP - real growth rate:
8.9% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6
22.5% (2009 est.)
3.4% (2008 est.)
GDP - per capita (PPP):
$1,000 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 212
$1,000 (2009 est.)
$800 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 31%
industry: 26%
services: 43%
note: data exclude opium production (2008 est.)
Labor force:
15 million (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 78.6%
industry: 5.7%
services: 15.7% (FY08/09 est.)
Unemployment rate:
35% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 183
40% (2005 est.)
Population below poverty line:
36% (FY08/09)
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
highest 10%: NA%
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
13.3% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 214
20.7% (2008 est.)
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
15% (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
14.92% (31 December 2008 est.)
Stock of narrow money:
$3.943 billion (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 100
$2.819 billion (31 December 2008)
Stock of broad money:
$4.149 billion (31 December 2009)
country comparison to the world: 125
$2.915 billion (31 December 2008)
Stock of domestic credit:
$363.6 million (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 166
$20.06 million (31 December 2007 est.)
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
Agriculture - products:
opium, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins
Industries:
small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, apparel, food-products, non-alcoholic beverages, mineral water, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
Electricity - production:
285.5 million kWh (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 168
Electricity - consumption:
231.1 million kWh (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 175
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
Electricity - imports:
230 million kWh (2007 est.)
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116
Oil - consumption:
5,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 138
Oil - imports:
4,404 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 161
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
Natural gas - production:
30 million cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
Natural gas - consumption:
30 million cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 108
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
Natural gas - proved reserves:
49.55 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
Current account balance:
-$2.475 billion (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160
$85 million (2008 est.)
Exports:
$547 million (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 164
$603 million (2008 est.); note - not including illicit exports or reexports
Exports - commodities:
opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems
Exports - partners:
US 26.47%, India 23.09%, Pakistan 17.36%, Tajikistan 12.51% (2009)
Imports:
$5.3 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109
$4.5 billion (2007)
Imports - commodities:
machinery and other capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products
Imports - partners:
Pakistan 26.78%, US 24.81%, India 5.15%, Germany 5.06%, Russia 4.04% (2009)
Debt - external:
$2.7 billion (2008/2009)
country comparison to the world: 134
$8 billion (2004)
Exchange rates:
afghanis (AFA) per US dollar - 50.23 (2009), 50.25 (2008), 50 (2007), 46 (2006), 47.7 (2005), 48 (2004)
(Facts from the CIA website)
Afghanistan Trade, Exports and Imports
Afghanistan is an economically downtrodden country that relies highly on farming and livestock. There was an astronomical decline in the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country in the last two decades of the 20thcentury. The contributing factors included disruption in trade and transport, and loss of capital and labor. The economic activities were widely interrupted by the Soviet invasion and civil war, which were responsible for the mass destruction of the country’s limited infrastructure. However, the fall on the Taliban forces in 2001 and infusion of billions of US dollars improved trading significantly. Trading is mainly done with neighboring countries.
History of Afghanistan Trade, Exports and Imports
Although Afghanistan is rich in natural resources, very little has been done to explore them. Some of these resources are extensive deposits of natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, and precious and semiprecious stones. However, the country’s rugged terrain and lack of transportation network restrict trade activities. In the 1980s, export of natural gas was at its peak, with $300 million in export revenues annually. However, 90% of this revenue was utilized for the payment of imports and debts to the Soviet Union. The Afghan economy also rode on goods smuggled into Pakistan.
Afghanistan Trade, Exports and Imports Statistics
There is not enough information and guaranteed statistics available about the economy of Afghanistan, but here are some estimates:
Exports: $603 million (2008)
Imports: $8.27 billion (2008)
Exports-to-GDP ratio: 3,5 % (2008)
Imports-to-GDP ratio: 47,6 % (2008)
Trade-to-GDP ratio: 51,1 % (2008)
(Note: Trade-to-GDP ratio = (Exports + Imports) / GDP)
Exports Partners
The major export partners of Afghanistan include (figures as of 2008):
• India 23.5%
• Pakistan 17.7%
• US 16.5%
• Tajikistan 12.8%
• Netherlands 6.9%
Imports Partners
The major import partners of Afghanistan include (figures as of 2008):
• Pakistan 36%
• US 9.3%
• Germany 7.5%
• India 6.9%
Afghanistan Trade, Exports and Imports Commodities
The following are the major commodities that form the basis of Afghanistan’s economy:
• Export commodities include opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems.
• Imports include machinery and other capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products.
Economy - overview:
Afghanistan's economy is recovering from decades of conflict. The economy has improved significantly since the fall of the Taliban regime in 2001 largely because of the infusion of international assistance, the recovery of the agricultural sector, and service sector growth. Despite the progress of the past few years, Afghanistan is extremely poor, landlocked, and highly dependent on foreign aid, agriculture, and trade with neighboring countries. Much of the population continues to suffer from shortages of housing, clean water, electricity, medical care, and jobs. Criminality, insecurity, weak governance, and the Afghan Government's inability to extend rule of law to all parts of the country pose challenges to future economic growth. Afghanistan's living standards are among the lowest in the world. While the international community remains committed to Afghanistan's development, pledging over $67 billion at four donors' conferences since 2002, the Government of Afghanistan will need to overcome a number of challenges, including low revenue collection, anemic job creation, high levels of corruption, weak government capacity, and poor public infrastructure.GDP (purchasing power parity):
$29.81 billion (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 109
$27.38 billion (2009 est.)
$22.34 billion (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
[see also: GDP (purchasing power parity) country ranks ]
GDP (official exchange rate):
$16.63 billion (2009 est.)
[see also: GDP (official exchange rate) country ranks ]
GDP - real growth rate:
8.9% (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 6
22.5% (2009 est.)
3.4% (2008 est.)
[see also: GDP - real growth rate country ranks ]
GDP - per capita:
$1,000 (2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 213
$1,000 (2009 est.)
$800 (2008 est.)
note: data are in 2010 US dollars
[see also: GDP - per capita country ranks ]
GDP - composition by sector:
agriculture: 31%
[see also: GDP - composition by sector - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 26%
[see also: GDP - composition by sector - industry country ranks ]
services: 43%
[see also: GDP - composition by sector - services country ranks ]
note: data exclude opium production (2008 est.)
Labor force:
15 million (2004 est.)
country comparison to the world: 39
[see also: Labor force country ranks ]
Labor force - by occupation:
agriculture: 78.6%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - agriculture country ranks ]
industry: 5.7%
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - industry country ranks ]
services: 15.7% (FY08/09 est.)
[see also: Labor force - by occupation - services country ranks ]
Unemployment rate:
35% (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 184
40% (2005 est.)
[see also: Unemployment rate country ranks ]
Population below poverty line:
36% (FY08/09)
[see also: Population below poverty line country ranks ]
Household income or consumption by percentage share:
lowest 10%: NA%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - lowest 10% country ranks ]
highest 10%: NA%
[see also: Household income or consumption by percentage share - highest 10% country ranks ]
Budget:
revenues: $1 billion
[see also: Budget - revenues country ranks ]
expenditures: $3.3 billion
[see also: Budget - expenditures country ranks ]
note: Afghanistan has also received $2.6 billion from the Reconstruction Trust Fund and $63 million from the Law and Order Trust Fund (FY09/10 est.)
Inflation rate (consumer prices):
13.3% (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 215
20.7% (2008 est.)
[see also: Inflation rate (consumer prices) country ranks ]
Commercial bank prime lending rate:
15% (31 December 2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 48
14.92% (31 December 2008 est.)
[see also: Commercial bank prime lending rate country ranks ]
Stock of narrow money:
$3.943 billion (31 December 2009)
$2.819 billion (31 December 2008)
[see also: Stock of narrow money country ranks ]
Stock of broad money:
$4.149 billion (31 December 2009)
$2.915 billion (31 December 2008)
[see also: Stock of broad money country ranks ]
Stock of domestic credit:
$363.6 million (31 December 2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 167
$20.06 million (31 December 2007 est.)
[see also: Stock of domestic credit country ranks ]
Market value of publicly traded shares:
$NA
[see also: Market value of publicly traded shares country ranks ]
Agriculture - products:
opium, wheat, fruits, nuts; wool, mutton, sheepskins, lambskins
Industries:
small-scale production of textiles, soap, furniture, shoes, fertilizer, apparel, food-products, non-alcoholic beverages, mineral water, cement; handwoven carpets; natural gas, coal, copper
Industrial production growth rate:
NA%
[see also: Industrial production growth rate country ranks ]
Electricity - production:
285.5 million kWh (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 169
[see also: Electricity - production country ranks ]
Electricity - consumption:
231.1 million kWh (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 176
[see also: Electricity - consumption country ranks ]
Electricity - exports:
0 kWh (2008 est.)
[see also: Electricity - exports country ranks ]
Electricity - imports:
230 million kWh (2007 est.)
[see also: Electricity - imports country ranks ]
Oil - production:
0 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 116
[see also: Oil - production country ranks ]
Oil - consumption:
5,000 bbl/day (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
[see also: Oil - consumption country ranks ]
Oil - exports:
0 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 139
[see also: Oil - exports country ranks ]
Oil - imports:
4,404 bbl/day (2007 est.)
country comparison to the world: 162
[see also: Oil - imports country ranks ]
Oil - proved reserves:
0 bbl (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 99
[see also: Oil - proved reserves country ranks ]
Natural gas - production:
30 million cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 84
[see also: Natural gas - production country ranks ]
Natural gas - consumption:
30 million cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 108
[see also: Natural gas - consumption country ranks ]
Natural gas - exports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 46
[see also: Natural gas - exports country ranks ]
Natural gas - imports:
0 cu m (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 70
[see also: Natural gas - imports country ranks ]
Natural gas - proved reserves:
49.55 billion cu m (1 January 2010 est.)
country comparison to the world: 65
[see also: Natural gas - proved reserves country ranks ]
Current account balance:
-$2.475 billion (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 160
$85 million (2008 est.)
[see also: Current account balance country ranks ]
Exports:
$547 million (2009 est.)
country comparison to the world: 165
$603 million (2008 est.); note - not including illicit exports or reexports
[see also: Exports country ranks ]
Exports - commodities:
opium, fruits and nuts, handwoven carpets, wool, cotton, hides and pelts, precious and semi-precious gems
Exports - partners:
US 26.47%, India 23.09%, Pakistan 17.36%, Tajikistan 12.51% (2009)
Imports:
$5.3 billion (2008 est.)
country comparison to the world: 110
$4.5 billion (2007)
[see also: Imports country ranks ]
Imports - commodities:
machinery and other capital goods, food, textiles, petroleum products
Imports - partners:
Pakistan 26.78%, US 24.81%, India 5.15%, Germany 5.06%, Russia 4.04% (2009)
Debt - external:
$2.7 billion (2008/2009)
country comparison to the world: 134
$8 billion (2004)
[see also: Debt - external country ranks ]
Exchange rates:
afghanis (AFA) per US dollar - 50.23 (2009), 50.25 (2008), 50 (2007), 46 (2006), 47.7 (2005), 48 (2004)
Overview of Afghanistan economy
In the 1930s, Afghanistan embarked on a modest economic development program. The government founded banks; introduced paper money; established a university; expanded primary, secondary, and technical schools; and sent students abroad for education. Historically, there has been a dearth of information and reliable statistics about Afghanistan's economy. The 1979 Soviet invasion and ensuing civil war destroyed much of the country's limited infrastructure and disrupted normal patterns of economic activity. Gross domestic product fell substantially because of loss of labor and capital and disruption of trade and transport. Continuing internal strife hampered both domestic efforts at reconstruction as well as international aid efforts. However, Afghanistan's economy has grown at a fast pace since the 2001 fall of the Taliban, albeit from a low base. GDP growth exceeded 12% in 2007 and 3.4% in 2008, and 2009 growth hovered around the 2008 mark. Despite these increases, unemployment remains around 40% and factors such as corruption, security, and shortage of skilled workers constrains development and the conduct of business. In June 2006, Afghanistan and the International Monetary Fund agreed on a Poverty Reduction and Growth Facility program for 2006-2009 that focused on maintaining macroeconomic stability, boosting growth, and reducing poverty. Afghanistan is also rebuilding its banking infrastructure through the Da Afghanistan National Central Bank.
Agriculture
An estimated 85% of Afghans are dependent on agriculture and related agribusinesses for their livelihoods. Opium poppy production and the opium trade continue to have a significant monetary share of the country’s agricultural economy. However, both this share and the number of farmers growing poppy continue to decline, as more farmers are taking advantage of opportunities to produce and market alternative crops. Licit commercial agriculture is playing a significant role in increasing the income of rural populations. The major food crops produced are: corn, rice, barley, wheat, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. The major industrial crops are: cotton, tobacco, madder, castor beans, and sugar beets. Agricultural production is constrained by an almost total dependence on erratic winter snows and spring rains for water; irrigation is primitive. Relatively little use is made of machines, chemical fertilizer, or pesticides.
Afghan farmers need financing to buy quality seeds, fertilizer, and equipment. The United States and the international community are helping to restore banking and credit services to rural lenders, which now administer loans in nearly two-thirds of the country’s provinces. As of September 2009, more than 52,300 agricultural loans ranging from approximately $200 to $2 million had gone to small businesses, with a repayment rate of 94%. Of these, 49% of loans had gone to women-owned businesses, and 27,700 borrowers were women. The program’s success has encouraged commercial banks to extend revolving loans for agribusinesses. Funds have been provided for leases and to promote agro-processing and support for crop exports.
In 2009, the United States significantly revised its counter-narcotics strategy for Afghanistan, ending direct involvement in eradication of poppy and increasing support for licit agriculture and interdiction. The new strategy puts heavy focus on going after those targets where there is a strong nexus between the insurgency and the narcotics trade, to deny resources to the Taliban. Poppy is easy to cultivate and opium is easily transported. Afghanistan produced a record opium poppy crop in 2007, supplying 93% of the world's opium. Much of Afghanistan's opium production is refined into heroin and is either consumed by a growing regional addict population or exported, primarily to Western Europe.
Trade and Industry
Afghanistan is endowed with natural resources, including extensive deposits of natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, and precious and semiprecious stones. Unfortunately, ongoing instability in certain areas of the country, remote and rugged terrain, and an inadequate infrastructure and transportation network have made mining these resources difficult, and there have been few serious attempts to further explore or exploit them. The first significant investment in the mining sector is expected to commence soon, with the development of the Aynak copper deposit in east-central Afghanistan. This project tender, awarded to a Chinese firm and valued at over $2.5 billion, is the largest international investment in Afghanistan to date. The Ministry of Mines also plans to move forward with oil, gas, and possibly iron ore tenders in 2010.
The most important resource has been natural gas, first tapped in 1967. At their peak during the 1980s, natural gas sales accounted for $300 million a year in export revenues (56% of the total). Ninety percent of these exports went to the Soviet Union to pay for imports and debts. However, during the withdrawal of Soviet troops in 1989, Afghanistan's natural gas fields were capped to prevent sabotage by the mujahidin. Restoration of gas production has been hampered by internal strife and the disruption of traditional trading relationships following the collapse of the Soviet Union. In addition, efforts are underway to create Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs). ROZs stimulate badly needed jobs in underdeveloped areas where extremists lure fighting-age young men into illicit and destabilizing activities. ROZs encourage investment by allowing duty-free access to the U.S. for certain goods produced in Afghanistan.
Transportation
Restoration of the “Ring Road” that links Kabul, Kandahar, and Herat with the northern cities of Mazar-e-Sharif and Kunduz continues. Much of the road has now been completed, including economically vital stretches linking Kabul, Kandahar, and Herat.
Landlocked Afghanistan has no functioning railways, but the Amu Darya (Oxus) River, which forms part of Afghanistan's border with Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, has barge traffic. During their occupation of the country, the Soviets completed a bridge across the Amu Darya. The Shirkan Bandar bridge, reconstructed with U.S. assistance, reopened in 2007 and has opened vital trade routes between Afghanistan and Tajikistan.
The Hairatan to Mazar-e-Sharif railway project is also in progress. The project aims to increase trade between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, reduce transport costs, increase vehicle operation savings, and create job opportunities in the project area. It will improve Hairatan's marshaling yard and railway station, construct a new single-track railway line of about 75 km from Hairatan to Mazar-e-Sharif, construct a new transshipment terminal facility at Mazar-e-Sharif, install signaling and telecommunication systems, install safety features for efficient operation, develop institutional capacity of the railway sector, and provide construction supervision and project management consultancy.
Afghanistan's national airline, Ariana, operates domestic and international routes, including flights to New Delhi, Islamabad, Dubai, Moscow, Istanbul, and Tehran. Civil aviation has been expanding rapidly and several private airlines now offer an alternative to Ariana and operate a domestic and international route network. The first, Kam Air, commenced domestic operations in November 2003.
Power
For nearly three decades, the availability of secure energy supplies in Afghanistan was significantly disrupted by conflict. Much of the country's power generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure was destroyed, and what remained was stretched far beyond capacity. More than 90% of the population had no access to electricity. In January 2009, with the help of the Asian Development Bank and the Indian Government, electricity began to flow into Kabul along a newly constructed transmission line running from neighboring Uzbekistan. For the first time in more than a generation, the majority of the capital's 4 million people enjoy the benefits of power. In 2001, Afghanistan produced 430 megawatts of electricity. Today the country produces more than 754 megawatts. International statistics maintained by the World Bank indicate the ratio of gross domestic product (GDP) growth to electrical production is approximately $1,000 to 300 kwh. The Afghan Government's current power plan sets a goal to deliver sufficient electricity to meet the needs of an economic growth rate of 9% per year. Additionally, the Afghan Government anticipates approximately 90% of urban businesses will have access to electrical power by the end of 2010. Finally, the plan's objective is to provide access to electricity to 65% of urban and 25% of rural households by the end of 2010.
The United States has provided considerable assistance to help develop new electricity generation capacity and provide 24-hour power in key cities including Kabul, Lashkar Gah, and Kandahar. Major projects carried out include refurbishment of power generation capacity at Kajaki Dam in the south and opening the Kabul power plant. Under the U.S. and partners’ supervision, the Afghan Government has transferred all assets, liabilities, and personnel from the troubled, state-run power utility Da Afghanistan Breshna Mosesa (DABM) to the new corporatized national electricity utility Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS). The move was a significant breakthrough in Afghan Government and donor efforts to modernize and begin to commercialize the national electricity sector.
Reliable, affordable electricity is vitally important to Afghan economic growth, prosperity, and stability. The energy infrastructure continues to be a priority for the U.S. and other donor nations.
Demining
Landmines and other explosive remnants of war affect virtually every province in Afghanistan, a tragic legacy of nearly three decades of continuous conflict. On average, according to the Landmine Monitor program, as many as 83 people are injured or killed each month in Afghanistan by these hidden hazards, with children involved in more than half of these incidents. As in many countries struggling to recover from conflicts, landmines and unexploded ordnance inhibit development, disrupt markets and production, prevent the delivery of goods and services, and generally obstruct reconstruction and stabilization efforts. Removing these deadly hazards enables socio-economic development that could further the larger goal of promoting stability and security in Afghanistan and the wider region.
Many Afghan non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as Organization for Mine Clearance and Afghan Rehabilitation (OMAR), Afghan Technical Consultants (ATC), Demining Agency for Afghanistan (DAFA), Mine Clearance Planning Agency (MCPA), and Mine Detection Center Afghanistan (MDC) have hard-won demining expertise and experience. The United States works with a wide array of international partners in mine action efforts in Afghanistan, but the majority of U.S. financial assistance for demining in Afghanistan goes directly to Afghan-run NGOs, which have pioneered an approach called “community-based demining.”
In community-based demining, Afghan NGOs recruit, train, and employ local workers, in close partnership with community leaders, to survey and clear explosives. Training local Afghan demining technicians offers a new skill, allowing the country to build self-sufficient capabilities to continue resolving its own issues, as well as lend support to other countries recovering from conflict in the future.
Community-based demining represents a new and unique opportunity to link Afghan and U.S. humanitarian, development, and counterinsurgency objectives. It furnishes jobs that keep young men employed, establishes trust with local leaders, and enables local personnel to participate in taking back their community, thus reinforcing local governance and reducing insurgent influence.
Since 1993, the United States has provided more than $165 million for humanitarian mine action in Afghanistan, making it the largest international donor to Afghanistan for this type of assistance. International and Afghan partners have used these funds to clear more than 160 million square meters of land and are now extending these efforts through community-based demining.
Refugees and Internally Displaced People
Afghanistan has had the largest refugee repatriation in the world in the last 30 years. Over 5 million Afghan refugees have returned to the country since 2002, with 4.4 million receiving repatriation assistance from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation (MORR) leads the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in assisting its citizens in returning from exile. The UNHCR leads the international community's response, in coordination with the International Organization of Migration (IOM), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Program (WFP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and a number of other national and international NGOs and donors.
In February 2009, UNHCR reported 235,833 internally displaced people (IDPs) in the country. The United States channels a significant amount of aid to refugees, returnees, IDPs, and other vulnerable conflict victims through agencies such as UNHCR, the international Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the World Food Program, and numerous non-governmental organizations. The U.S. also supports various organizations in providing assistance and protection to the 3.6 million Afghan refugees residing outside Afghanistan. While anchoring returnees in Afghanistan will remain a priority for U.S. assistance programs, the U.S. will also continue to support refugee assistance and protection inside countries of asylum. Since September 2001, the United States has contributed over $718 million to these programs.
Health
Afghanistan has one of the highest mortality rates in the world: one in five children dies before the age of five and one out of every eight Afghan women die from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth each year. Life expectancy is only 44 years for both men and women. While these statistics are tragic, there has been progress. Recent reports indicate that 85% of the population has access to basic health services within one hour of travel to a health facility (68% for those on foot)--up from 9% in 2002. More than 1,650 professional midwives are employed by the ministry of public health, providing health care and childbirth services across Afghanistan. This has helped reduce infant mortality rates by 23%, saving 80,000 newborn lives each year. Child mortality has also fallen; down 26% since 2002. The U.S. through various agencies and in conjunction with the Afghan Government has implemented health programs to help meet the immediate health care needs of the population by strengthening the health care service delivery system; addressing the management leadership and stewardship capacity of the Afghan health care system at the central, provincial, district, and community levels; and increasing demand for and access to quality health products and services through the private sector--60% of the population receive health care from the private sector.
Insecurity along the border, especially in the south, has led to a lack of health workers and an increase in polio cases from seven in 2004 to at least 24 in 2009. The U.S. supports the national Polio Eradication Initiative to strengthen Afghanistan’s immunization communication, service delivery, and surveillance networks. As a result of this assistance, more than 7 million Afghan children, or 90% of children under the age of five, have been vaccinated against polio. The United Sates also supports tuberculosis (TB) detection, treatment, and control efforts in 13 target provinces using the Directly Observed Therapy, Short Course (DOTS) methodology. Globally recognized as the best way to cure TB and control its spread, DOTS is a six- to eight-month program in which health providers directly administer medication and closely monitor patient progress.
To strengthen the private sector and foster best practices, the U.S. is supporting private hospitals, pharmacists, and pharmaceutical manufacturers in the development of professional associations.
Education
Afghanistan has made impressive advances in increasing basic education. More than 10,000 schools are providing education services to 6.3 million children, a six-fold enrollment growth since 2001. During the Taliban regime no girls were registered in schools. Today, 36.3% of the student population is girls. Similarly, the number of teachers has increased seven-fold to 142,500, of whom nearly 40,000 are women.
Adult literacy activities increased rapidly in 2009. Learning centers grew from 1,100 to 6,865, and activities expanded from 9 to 20 provinces, bringing literacy and financial services to over 169,000 beneficiaries (62% female). From a situation of total illiteracy, these learners can now read, write, form simple sentences, and do basic mathematical calculations. Ongoing support of literacy and basic education is paramount, as well as the quality and preparation of teachers in order to close the literacy gap left by 30 years of conflict.
Agriculture
An estimated 85% of Afghans are dependent on agriculture and related agribusinesses for their livelihoods. Opium poppy production and the opium trade continue to have a significant monetary share of the country’s agricultural economy. However, both this share and the number of farmers growing poppy continue to decline, as more farmers are taking advantage of opportunities to produce and market alternative crops. Licit commercial agriculture is playing a significant role in increasing the income of rural populations. The major food crops produced are: corn, rice, barley, wheat, vegetables, fruits, and nuts. The major industrial crops are: cotton, tobacco, madder, castor beans, and sugar beets. Agricultural production is constrained by an almost total dependence on erratic winter snows and spring rains for water; irrigation is primitive. Relatively little use is made of machines, chemical fertilizer, or pesticides.
Afghan farmers need financing to buy quality seeds, fertilizer, and equipment. The United States and the international community are helping to restore banking and credit services to rural lenders, which now administer loans in nearly two-thirds of the country’s provinces. As of September 2009, more than 52,300 agricultural loans ranging from approximately $200 to $2 million had gone to small businesses, with a repayment rate of 94%. Of these, 49% of loans had gone to women-owned businesses, and 27,700 borrowers were women. The program’s success has encouraged commercial banks to extend revolving loans for agribusinesses. Funds have been provided for leases and to promote agro-processing and support for crop exports.
In 2009, the United States significantly revised its counter-narcotics strategy for Afghanistan, ending direct involvement in eradication of poppy and increasing support for licit agriculture and interdiction. The new strategy puts heavy focus on going after those targets where there is a strong nexus between the insurgency and the narcotics trade, to deny resources to the Taliban. Poppy is easy to cultivate and opium is easily transported. Afghanistan produced a record opium poppy crop in 2007, supplying 93% of the world's opium. Much of Afghanistan's opium production is refined into heroin and is either consumed by a growing regional addict population or exported, primarily to Western Europe.
Trade and Industry
Afghanistan is endowed with natural resources, including extensive deposits of natural gas, petroleum, coal, copper, chromite, talc, barites, sulfur, lead, zinc, iron ore, salt, and precious and semiprecious stones. Unfortunately, ongoing instability in certain areas of the country, remote and rugged terrain, and an inadequate infrastructure and transportation network have made mining these resources difficult, and there have been few serious attempts to further explore or exploit them. The first significant investment in the mining sector is expected to commence soon, with the development of the Aynak copper deposit in east-central Afghanistan. This project tender, awarded to a Chinese firm and valued at over $2.5 billion, is the largest international investment in Afghanistan to date. The Ministry of Mines also plans to move forward with oil, gas, and possibly iron ore tenders in 2010.
The most important resource has been natural gas, first tapped in 1967. At their peak during the 1980s, natural gas sales accounted for $300 million a year in export revenues (56% of the total). Ninety percent of these exports went to the Soviet Union to pay for imports and debts. However, during the withdrawal of Soviet troops in 1989, Afghanistan's natural gas fields were capped to prevent sabotage by the mujahidin. Restoration of gas production has been hampered by internal strife and the disruption of traditional trading relationships following the collapse of the Soviet Union. In addition, efforts are underway to create Reconstruction Opportunity Zones (ROZs). ROZs stimulate badly needed jobs in underdeveloped areas where extremists lure fighting-age young men into illicit and destabilizing activities. ROZs encourage investment by allowing duty-free access to the U.S. for certain goods produced in Afghanistan.
Transportation
Restoration of the “Ring Road” that links Kabul, Kandahar, and Herat with the northern cities of Mazar-e-Sharif and Kunduz continues. Much of the road has now been completed, including economically vital stretches linking Kabul, Kandahar, and Herat.
Landlocked Afghanistan has no functioning railways, but the Amu Darya (Oxus) River, which forms part of Afghanistan's border with Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, and Tajikistan, has barge traffic. During their occupation of the country, the Soviets completed a bridge across the Amu Darya. The Shirkan Bandar bridge, reconstructed with U.S. assistance, reopened in 2007 and has opened vital trade routes between Afghanistan and Tajikistan.
The Hairatan to Mazar-e-Sharif railway project is also in progress. The project aims to increase trade between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan, reduce transport costs, increase vehicle operation savings, and create job opportunities in the project area. It will improve Hairatan's marshaling yard and railway station, construct a new single-track railway line of about 75 km from Hairatan to Mazar-e-Sharif, construct a new transshipment terminal facility at Mazar-e-Sharif, install signaling and telecommunication systems, install safety features for efficient operation, develop institutional capacity of the railway sector, and provide construction supervision and project management consultancy.
Afghanistan's national airline, Ariana, operates domestic and international routes, including flights to New Delhi, Islamabad, Dubai, Moscow, Istanbul, and Tehran. Civil aviation has been expanding rapidly and several private airlines now offer an alternative to Ariana and operate a domestic and international route network. The first, Kam Air, commenced domestic operations in November 2003.
Power
For nearly three decades, the availability of secure energy supplies in Afghanistan was significantly disrupted by conflict. Much of the country's power generation, transmission, and distribution infrastructure was destroyed, and what remained was stretched far beyond capacity. More than 90% of the population had no access to electricity. In January 2009, with the help of the Asian Development Bank and the Indian Government, electricity began to flow into Kabul along a newly constructed transmission line running from neighboring Uzbekistan. For the first time in more than a generation, the majority of the capital's 4 million people enjoy the benefits of power. In 2001, Afghanistan produced 430 megawatts of electricity. Today the country produces more than 754 megawatts. International statistics maintained by the World Bank indicate the ratio of gross domestic product (GDP) growth to electrical production is approximately $1,000 to 300 kwh. The Afghan Government's current power plan sets a goal to deliver sufficient electricity to meet the needs of an economic growth rate of 9% per year. Additionally, the Afghan Government anticipates approximately 90% of urban businesses will have access to electrical power by the end of 2010. Finally, the plan's objective is to provide access to electricity to 65% of urban and 25% of rural households by the end of 2010.
The United States has provided considerable assistance to help develop new electricity generation capacity and provide 24-hour power in key cities including Kabul, Lashkar Gah, and Kandahar. Major projects carried out include refurbishment of power generation capacity at Kajaki Dam in the south and opening the Kabul power plant. Under the U.S. and partners’ supervision, the Afghan Government has transferred all assets, liabilities, and personnel from the troubled, state-run power utility Da Afghanistan Breshna Mosesa (DABM) to the new corporatized national electricity utility Da Afghanistan Breshna Sherkat (DABS). The move was a significant breakthrough in Afghan Government and donor efforts to modernize and begin to commercialize the national electricity sector.
Reliable, affordable electricity is vitally important to Afghan economic growth, prosperity, and stability. The energy infrastructure continues to be a priority for the U.S. and other donor nations.
Demining
Landmines and other explosive remnants of war affect virtually every province in Afghanistan, a tragic legacy of nearly three decades of continuous conflict. On average, according to the Landmine Monitor program, as many as 83 people are injured or killed each month in Afghanistan by these hidden hazards, with children involved in more than half of these incidents. As in many countries struggling to recover from conflicts, landmines and unexploded ordnance inhibit development, disrupt markets and production, prevent the delivery of goods and services, and generally obstruct reconstruction and stabilization efforts. Removing these deadly hazards enables socio-economic development that could further the larger goal of promoting stability and security in Afghanistan and the wider region.
Many Afghan non-governmental organizations (NGOs) such as Organization for Mine Clearance and Afghan Rehabilitation (OMAR), Afghan Technical Consultants (ATC), Demining Agency for Afghanistan (DAFA), Mine Clearance Planning Agency (MCPA), and Mine Detection Center Afghanistan (MDC) have hard-won demining expertise and experience. The United States works with a wide array of international partners in mine action efforts in Afghanistan, but the majority of U.S. financial assistance for demining in Afghanistan goes directly to Afghan-run NGOs, which have pioneered an approach called “community-based demining.”
In community-based demining, Afghan NGOs recruit, train, and employ local workers, in close partnership with community leaders, to survey and clear explosives. Training local Afghan demining technicians offers a new skill, allowing the country to build self-sufficient capabilities to continue resolving its own issues, as well as lend support to other countries recovering from conflict in the future.
Community-based demining represents a new and unique opportunity to link Afghan and U.S. humanitarian, development, and counterinsurgency objectives. It furnishes jobs that keep young men employed, establishes trust with local leaders, and enables local personnel to participate in taking back their community, thus reinforcing local governance and reducing insurgent influence.
Since 1993, the United States has provided more than $165 million for humanitarian mine action in Afghanistan, making it the largest international donor to Afghanistan for this type of assistance. International and Afghan partners have used these funds to clear more than 160 million square meters of land and are now extending these efforts through community-based demining.
Refugees and Internally Displaced People
Afghanistan has had the largest refugee repatriation in the world in the last 30 years. Over 5 million Afghan refugees have returned to the country since 2002, with 4.4 million receiving repatriation assistance from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR). The Ministry of Refugees and Repatriation (MORR) leads the Government of the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan in assisting its citizens in returning from exile. The UNHCR leads the international community's response, in coordination with the International Organization of Migration (IOM), United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF), the World Food Program (WFP), the World Health Organization (WHO), and a number of other national and international NGOs and donors.
In February 2009, UNHCR reported 235,833 internally displaced people (IDPs) in the country. The United States channels a significant amount of aid to refugees, returnees, IDPs, and other vulnerable conflict victims through agencies such as UNHCR, the international Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the World Food Program, and numerous non-governmental organizations. The U.S. also supports various organizations in providing assistance and protection to the 3.6 million Afghan refugees residing outside Afghanistan. While anchoring returnees in Afghanistan will remain a priority for U.S. assistance programs, the U.S. will also continue to support refugee assistance and protection inside countries of asylum. Since September 2001, the United States has contributed over $718 million to these programs.
Health
Afghanistan has one of the highest mortality rates in the world: one in five children dies before the age of five and one out of every eight Afghan women die from causes related to pregnancy and childbirth each year. Life expectancy is only 44 years for both men and women. While these statistics are tragic, there has been progress. Recent reports indicate that 85% of the population has access to basic health services within one hour of travel to a health facility (68% for those on foot)--up from 9% in 2002. More than 1,650 professional midwives are employed by the ministry of public health, providing health care and childbirth services across Afghanistan. This has helped reduce infant mortality rates by 23%, saving 80,000 newborn lives each year. Child mortality has also fallen; down 26% since 2002. The U.S. through various agencies and in conjunction with the Afghan Government has implemented health programs to help meet the immediate health care needs of the population by strengthening the health care service delivery system; addressing the management leadership and stewardship capacity of the Afghan health care system at the central, provincial, district, and community levels; and increasing demand for and access to quality health products and services through the private sector--60% of the population receive health care from the private sector.
Insecurity along the border, especially in the south, has led to a lack of health workers and an increase in polio cases from seven in 2004 to at least 24 in 2009. The U.S. supports the national Polio Eradication Initiative to strengthen Afghanistan’s immunization communication, service delivery, and surveillance networks. As a result of this assistance, more than 7 million Afghan children, or 90% of children under the age of five, have been vaccinated against polio. The United Sates also supports tuberculosis (TB) detection, treatment, and control efforts in 13 target provinces using the Directly Observed Therapy, Short Course (DOTS) methodology. Globally recognized as the best way to cure TB and control its spread, DOTS is a six- to eight-month program in which health providers directly administer medication and closely monitor patient progress.
To strengthen the private sector and foster best practices, the U.S. is supporting private hospitals, pharmacists, and pharmaceutical manufacturers in the development of professional associations.
Education
Afghanistan has made impressive advances in increasing basic education. More than 10,000 schools are providing education services to 6.3 million children, a six-fold enrollment growth since 2001. During the Taliban regime no girls were registered in schools. Today, 36.3% of the student population is girls. Similarly, the number of teachers has increased seven-fold to 142,500, of whom nearly 40,000 are women.
Adult literacy activities increased rapidly in 2009. Learning centers grew from 1,100 to 6,865, and activities expanded from 9 to 20 provinces, bringing literacy and financial services to over 169,000 beneficiaries (62% female). From a situation of total illiteracy, these learners can now read, write, form simple sentences, and do basic mathematical calculations. Ongoing support of literacy and basic education is paramount, as well as the quality and preparation of teachers in order to close the literacy gap left by 30 years of conflict.
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