Afghan assets moved to Swiss bank generate $36 million: Ahadi

The $3.5 billion in Afghan central bank assets that were transferred to a Swiss-based trust fund have generated $36 million interest, Anwar-ul-Haq Ahadi, a member of the fund’s board said this week.

Speaking in an exclusive interview with Ariana News, Ahadi said that there have been no disbursments since the fund was created in recent months.

“It has been put in circulation over the last few months. It has generated $36 million interest which are added to the assets. But it is possible that there will be disbursements in the future,” Ahadi said.

The former Afghan central bank chief and former finance minister also suggested that the assets could also be used to provide liquidity to the banking system in Afghanistan.  

“We want to reach an understanding in this regard with the central bank and the finance ministry,” he said.

Ahadi said that the main purpose of establishing the fund is preserving the central bank’s assets.

“After Afghanistan’s relations with the world become normal, the assets will be transferred to the central bank,” Ahadi added.

The $3.5 billion forms part of an original $7 billion being held in the United States following the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) takeover in August 2021.

No representative of the central bank is in the board managing the fund. Ahadi said that an advisory committee that will be created later and it will likely have represetnative of the central bank.