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$40 million has been attained from Kabul Bank scandals – AGO

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(Last Updated On: October 25, 2022)

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More than $40 million has been returned back to Kabul Bank after the final decision of the special court on the bank embezzlement case, officials said.

President Ghani issued a decree on his initial days inquiring to re-open the Kabul Bank embezzlement case, and the court soon sentenced the biggest scandals including Ex-Chairman Shir Khan Farnood, and Ex-CEO Khalilullah Ferozi, but the government is still unsuccessful to return moneys back and trial those powerful shareholders who were also involved in Kabul Bank crisis.

Now, about four months have passed since the Supreme Court has directed the AGO to collect all the loans of the bank and credit it into the Afghanistan’s Central Bank account, but none of the loaners have paid their loans yet.

Attorney General’s Office (AGO) of Afghanistan emphasis serious follow up on this case, but a number of lawmakers believe that the government has already failed to return the moneys being embezzled.

Noor Habib Jalal Acting-Head of Afghanistan’s AGO said,” Kabul Bank Clearance Office is working hard on this case, as yet we could attain cashes and properties which worth more than $40 million, and we are following this case”.

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Earlier Integrity Watch of Afghanistan (IWA) announced that the New Kabul Bank losses about $ 7 million annually and the bank has lost about $ 50 million since it was bankrupted on 2010.

On the other hand Farhad Azimi a member of the parliament criticized the government and said,” the Kabul Bank loaners have their own part in the government, therefore; the government is not committed to execute the court decisions”.

He added, the Kabul Bank scandals are “travelling along with the government leaders to foreign trips” probably pointing to Ex-finance minister Omar Zakhilwal who is currently the economic advisor of President Ghani.

Another MP Zakaria Sawda pointed,” the government is unable to finalize Kabul Bank crisis, because Kabul Bank loaners are close relatives to the powerful people”.

Previously, a senate member said that the government is neglecting the real scandals including Zakhilwal.

Zalmai Zabuli, the Senate Complaints Commission Chief has said,” Investigations on Kabul Bank crisis case are still without any result and it is really concerning. Several documents prove involvement of government high ranking officials in Kabul Bank crisis including ex-finance minister involvement, but the question is why they are not trialing Omar Zakhilwal? Documents prove his involvement in Kabul Bank crisis, but both the government and the judiciary systems are keeping their silent about him.”

Kabul Bank corruption is the biggest scandal in Afghanistan’s financial history which is still not cleared even after two courts.

Reported by: Ahmad Farshad Saleh

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Pakistan’s commerce delegation wraps up ‘successful’ trip to Kabul

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(Last Updated On: March 28, 2024)

Pakistan’s Charge d’Affaires for Afghanistan, Ubaid-ur-Rehman Nizamani said in a video message on Wednesday that the recent talks between Islamabad’s commerce delegation and Afghan officials had been “successful” and that he hoped this would give fresh impetus to bilateral trade between the two countries.

“I’m happy to report that this was a successful visit and both sides have agreed to work together for mutual benefit on a number of areas.

“They will facilitate transit, they will facilitate bilateral trade and they will take all possible measures that create an environment for continuous and productive trade and economic relations between the two countries,” he said.

The delegation, led by Commerce Ministry Secretary Khurram Agha, arrived in Kabul on Monday and had numerous talks on various issues with Islamic Emirate officials.

The visit came amid deteriorating bilateral relations following several suicide attacks in Pakistan in the last couple of months that Islamabad attributes to the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP) militants, a group they claim is based in Afghanistan.

Diplomatic tensions between the two countries over the last few months have led to economic losses, as key border crossings for trade and travel have closed intermittently, resulting in goods trucks being held up at border posts.

Afghanistan’s Minister for Industry and Commerce Nurudin Azizi meanwhile said the IEA had held fruitful negotiations in a cordial environment with the visiting delegation.

“We discussed in detail with the Pakistani side specific issues related to heavy transport vehicles that will be resolved,” he said.

“We will achieve positive results as our discussions remained productive.”

Azizi said Afghanistan expected to sign a formal agreement with Pakistan within six months, allowing Pakistani trucks to enter Afghanistan and travel to the Central Asian states and Afghan trucks to go all the way to the Pakistani port cities of Karachi and Gwadar.

Apart from discussing trade-related issues, the two sides also focused on movement of passengers, patients and businesspeople across their common border during these talks.

Azizi noted uninterrupted trade and business between Kabul and Islamabad would play a significant role in creating a peaceful environment between the two countries and facilitate their economic development.

He said the two sides also pledged to enhance their existing trade volume, adding that both countries could become ideal markets for each other if they did not allow business to be affected by any geopolitical tensions.

Azizi also said Afghanistan could export agricultural products to China and other countries via Pakistan’s ports and cities.

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Turkey’s 77 keen to start up cement plant in Jawzjan

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(Last Updated On: March 27, 2024)

Turkish construction company 77 officials have met with the acting minister of mines and petroleum, Shahabuddin Delawar, about investing in a cement factory in Yatim Taq area of Jawzjan province.

The minister, Shahabuddin Dalawar, has said the ministry will cooperate with the company but first needs a proposal, including details around how they plan to implement the project as well as social development plans.

Turkey’s 77 company has been working on electricity generation projects in Afghanistan for several years.

A number of industrialists say that if more investment is made in the cement production sector, not only will domestic demand be met, but the country’s cement will also be exported.

At the moment, cement is being produced by private companies in the provinces of Kandahar, Parwan and Herat.

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Pakistan delegation discusses solutions with Azizi to resolve trade issues

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(Last Updated On: March 26, 2024)

Officials of the Afghan Ministry of Commerce and Industry on Tuesday held a meeting with the visiting delegation of Pakistan’s Ministry of Commerce where they discussed challenges around trade relations between the two countries.

The Acting Minister of Commerce and Industry Nooruddin Azizi said due to recent political tensions, trade and transit relations between Afghanistan and Pakistan have faced problems. He said efforts are being made to find solutions to the existing problems and to distance political issues from trade issues.

The visiting delegation is in Kabul at the invitation of the ministry of commerce and industry.

Azizi said the Pakistani delegation said at the meeting that all commercial, transit and economic issues between the two countries will be discussed and efforts will be made to keep trade issues separate from political issues.

“We want to talk about issues that are especially in the field of trade and transit, and we want to prioritize all issues related to trade, we are trying to separate trade and transit from political issues,” said Azizi.

He also expressed hope that his meeting with the Pakistani delegation will help solve the existing challenges and improve and expand trade and transit relations between the two countries.

According to economic experts, since Afghanistan is a transit route between Central Asia and South Asia, the Islamic Emirate can use it to pressurize Pakistan so as not to create trade problems.

“Pressure should be put on Pakistan with the same means we have so that the agreement signed between us and Pakistan and they are forced to comply. We must use this agreement and use it correctly and we should be emotional and not say hostile words, but we want our right,” said Seyed Masoud, an economic expert.

Officials from the ministry also said that talks were held on other issues, including implementing the PTA preferential trade agreement or TAD, finalizing negotiations about APPTA, determining the date of air transit, 24-hour operations in the ports of Torkham, Chaman, and Spin Boldak.

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