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Afghanistan’s central bank gets shipment of new banknotes

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A Polish firm delivered Afghani banknotes to Kabul this week after the United States paved the way for the Da Afghanistan Bank to make a payment via international banking systems, a member of the bank’s supreme council told Reuters on Wednesday.

The payment represents a shift for Afghanistan’s central bank, which has been largely cut off from the international financial system since the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan (IEA) came into power last year.

State news outlet Bakhtar also reported that the shipment arrived on Wednesday.

The Afghan central bank held a contract with a Polish company for the printing of its banknotes but had been unable until early July to begin payment, Reuters reported.

Without access to fresh banknotes for more than a year, Afghanistan’s cash has been deteriorating, with notes torn in shreds or held together with sellotape, exacerbating the country’s liquidity crisis.

“Afghanistan’s markets run primarily on cash, but existing banknotes are crumbling …The Central Bank will be able to replace old and damaged banknotes, and this will improve the Afghan people’s ability to purchase food and other necessary items,” a U.S. State Department spokesperson said.

Shah Mehrabi, a member of the Afghan central bank’s supreme council, said assurances to banks and companies by the U.S. Treasury that they would not be prosecuted for allowing a transaction by Afghanistan’s central bank had been instrumental.

“These transactions that were facilitated by the Treasury are welcomed by all Afghans,” Mehrabi said.

He said the banknotes began arriving on Tuesday. The contract was for notes valued at 10 billion Afghanis, mostly in small denominations. A second contract with a French company had been reached for a similar value.

A spokesperson for Afghanistan’s finance ministry told Reuters that new banknotes would be used solely by the central bank for replacing old notes, not to fund the budget.

Mehrabi said that the bank would release its financial statements to ensure the cash was accounted for.

He said the bank had agreed to be subject to third party monitoring and the U.S. Treasury had approved of an agency to carry out the monitoring.

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Ministry of Public Works: Railway transport operating smoothly across all ports

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The Ministry of Public Works has confirmed that railway transport through Afghanistan’s four main ports is running normally, with no disruptions reported.

According to the ministry, 127,650 metric tons of goods—including oil, non-oil items, and other materials—were transported via the railway last week (27 February–3 March). Shipments by port were as follows:

  • Hairatan: 88,186 tons
  • Aqina: 10,769 tons
  • Torkhandi: 14,123 tons
  • Khaf–Herat: 14,572 tons

Exports accounted for 265 tons, mainly dried fruits and mineral stones.

The Minister of Public Works has directed port officials and provincial department heads to ensure additional support and facilities for traders transporting essential and food items during these sensitive times.

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Mujahid: Trade with Iran through Khaf–Herat railway operating normally

He urged national traders to refrain from unjustified price increases in order to maintain market stability.

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Zabihullah Mujahid, spokesperson for the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, has announced that commercial transportation through the Khaf–Herat railway is continuing without interruption.

According to Mujahid, all relevant departments overseeing the railway are carrying out their routine operations, and there have been no delays in the movement of commercial goods.

He confirmed that a freight train carrying commercial goods has arrived at the Rozanak station in Herat province, transporting 42 wagons of cement and two wagons of MDF boards.

Another cargo train carrying food and fuel supplies is expected to arrive later.

Mujahid also noted that, based on information from Iranian railway authorities, around 900 wagons currently in Iran are en route to Afghanistan and will enter the country as scheduled.

He urged national traders to refrain from unjustified price increases in order to maintain market stability.

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Afghanistan records 33% rise in railway cargo transport

The bulk of cargo passed through the key rail links at Hairatan, Aqina, Torghundi, and the Khawaf–Herat railway connecting Afghanistan with Iran.

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Afghanistan has recorded a sharp increase in rail freight activity, with cargo transported through the country’s railway network rising by more than 33 percent in the first 11 months of the current year compared to the same period last year, officials said.

Mohammad Ashraf Haqshenas, spokesperson for the Ministry of Public Works, said more than five million metric tons of goods were moved through four major railway ports during the reporting period.

According to Haqshenas, shipments included fuel, non-oil commercial goods and other materials entering and transiting the country via the northern and western corridors.

The bulk of cargo passed through the key rail links at Hairatan, Aqina, Torghundi, and the Khawaf–Herat railway connecting Afghanistan with Iran.

The rail network plays a critical role in Afghanistan’s trade infrastructure, offering a cost-effective alternative to road transport for bulk imports such as petroleum, construction materials and food supplies.

As a landlocked country, Afghanistan relies heavily on transit routes through neighboring states to sustain its economy.

Haqshenas said that since the return to power of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, several railway development and expansion projects have been initiated to improve connectivity and increase freight capacity. Some projects have been completed, while others remain under construction.

Officials say the growth in rail cargo reflects gradual improvements in transit coordination with regional partners, including Uzbekistan, Turkmenistan and Iran.

The government views railway expansion as central to its broader strategy of turning Afghanistan into a regional trade and transit hub linking Central Asia to South Asia and the Middle East.

The ministry added that continued investment in rail infrastructure is expected to strengthen economic activity, generate revenue and facilitate greater regional integration in the years ahead.

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