Business
Central bank governor says international reserves have not been compromised
Ajmal Ahmady, Afghanistan’s central bank governor and former minister of industry and commerce, posted a series of tweets on Wednesday stating he wanted to “clarify the location of DAB (Central Bank of Afghanistan) international reserves.”
He said that DAB reserves were approximately $9.0 billion as of last week but that “this does not mean that DAB held $9.0 billion physically in our vault.”
He said as per international standards, most assets are held in safe, liquid assets such as Treasuries and gold.
He said that DAB was set to receive approximately $340 million on August 23rd from the International Monetary Fund.
“Not sure if that allocation will now proceed with respect to Afghanistan,” he said.
Given Afghanistan’s large current account deficit, DAB was reliant on obtaining physical shipments of cash every few weeks, he said.
“The amount of such cash remaining is close to zero due to a stoppage of shipments as the security situation deteriorated, especially during the last few days,” he said.
“On Friday morning, I received a call notifying me that there would be no further USD (US Dollar) shipments,” Ahmady said, adding they were expecting one on Sunday, the day the Taliban took control of Kabul, but that this shipment did not arrive.
Ahmady said that on Saturday, banks placed very large USD bids as customer withdrawals accelerated.
“For the first time, I therefore had to limit USD access to both banks and dollar auctions to conserve remaining DAB dollars.
“We also put out a circular placing maximum withdrawal limits per customer,” he said.
He assured Afghans that in no way were Afghanistan’s international reserves ever compromised.
“We had a program with both the IMF and Treasury that monitored assets. No money was stolen from any reserve account,” he said.
However, he stated that given that the Taliban are still on international sanction lists, it is expected that such assets will be frozen and not accessible to Taliban.
“I believe local banks have told customers that they cannot return their dollars – because DAB has not supplied banks with dollars.
“This is true. Not because funds have been stolen or being held in a vault, but because all dollars are in international accounts that have been frozen,” he said.
“Taliban should note this was in no way the decision of DAB or its professional staff. It is a direct result of the US sanctions policy implemented by OFAC (the American Office of Foreign Assets Control),” he said.
In conclusion, Ahmady suggested the Taliban implement capital controls and limit dollar access.
Business
Afghanistan invites Turkish investors to expand joint investments
Participants stressed the importance of increasing private sector cooperation and creating new opportunities to boost trade and investment between Afghanistan and Türkiye.
A high-level Afghan business delegation, led by the Chairman of the Balkh Chamber of Commerce and Investment, Mohammad Ibrahim Ghazanfar, participated in the Afghanistan–Türkiye Joint Business Council meeting in Istanbul, calling for expanded joint investment and stronger economic cooperation between the two countries.
According to a statement from the Balkh Chamber of Commerce and Investment, Ghazanfar invited Turkish investors and industrialists to explore investment opportunities across various sectors in Afghanistan, emphasizing the country’s potential for mutually beneficial partnerships.
The meeting brought together business leaders, investors, and private sector representatives from both Afghanistan and Türkiye to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral trade and economic ties.
During the event, several cooperation agreements were signed between Afghan and Turkish economic institutions. The agreements are aimed at expanding commercial relations, promoting joint investment projects, and enhancing economic cooperation between the two countries.
The meeting was chaired by Süleyman Güllü, Chairman of the Türkiye–Afghanistan Joint Business Council, and was attended by Mohammad Akbar Azimi, the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s Consul General in Istanbul, along with a number of businessmen and investors from both countries.
Participants stressed the importance of increasing private sector cooperation and creating new opportunities to boost trade and investment between Afghanistan and Türkiye.
Business
Afghanistan chamber, India’s ASSOCHAM sign MoU to enhance trade and investment cooperation
The Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) and the Associated Chambers of Commerce and Industry of India (ASSOCHAM) have signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) aimed at strengthening bilateral trade, investment, and business cooperation between India and Afghanistan.
The agreement was signed in New Delhi by Saurabh Sanyal, Secretary General of ASSOCHAM, and Sayed Mohammad Karim Hashemi, Chairman of ACCI, during a meeting between business leaders from the two countries, ASSOCHAM said in a statement.
The Afghan delegation, led by Hashemi, held discussions with Nirmal Kumar Minda, President of ASSOCHAM, and other officials on ways to expand bilateral trade, investment flows, and private-sector cooperation.
According to ASSOCHAM, the MoU seeks to strengthen institutional collaboration, promote business-to-business linkages, and facilitate greater trade and investment opportunities between India and Afghanistan.
The organization said it remains committed to fostering stronger economic ties and creating new avenues of cooperation between the business communities of both countries.
Business
Kazakhstan signs $18.8 million zinc ore supply agreement with Afghan company
Kazakhstan has signed a major zinc ore supply agreement with an Afghan company as the two countries continue to expand economic cooperation and trade ties.
According to Kazakhstan’s Ministry of Trade and Integration, the contract was signed between Kazakhstan’s ShalkiyaZinc and Afghanistan’s Afghan German Bakhtar Company during the opening of the Kazakhstan Trade House in Kabul.
The signing took place as part of an official business mission led by Kazakhstan’s Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of National Economy, Serik Zhumangarin.
Under the agreement, Afghan German Bakhtar Company will supply approximately 30,000 tons of zinc ore annually on DAP (Delivered at Place) terms. The ore will be used as raw material for the production facilities of Kazakhstan’s Kazzinc. The total value of the contract is estimated at $18.88 million.
The deal marks a significant step in diversifying trade relations between Kazakhstan and Afghanistan, moving beyond traditional agricultural exports into the mining and industrial sectors.
“Afghanistan today is a market of opportunities,” said Kanat Kudaibergen, Chairman of the Board of GWM Capital LTD. He noted that while Kazakhstan’s exports to Afghanistan have historically consisted mainly of flour, grain, sunflower oil, and other agricultural products, demand is increasingly growing for machinery, equipment, and service solutions in agriculture, construction, and mining.
Kudaibergen expressed confidence that the newly established Trade House in Kabul would serve as an important platform for developing new business projects and expanding Kazakhstan’s non-resource exports.
The agreement follows recent discussions between Kazakh officials and Afghanistan’s leadership, including Prime Minister Mohammad Hasan Akhund and Deputy Prime Minister Abdul Ghani Baradar, during which Kazakhstan expressed interest in sourcing zinc ore from Afghanistan.
Preparations for the deal began last year when specialists from Tau-Ken Samruk visited Afghanistan’s Bamyan province to assess the Pami-Kakrak zinc deposit. Samples collected during the visit were later analyzed by Kazzinc, which confirmed the feasibility of processing the ore at Kazakh facilities.
Economic relations between the two countries have been steadily strengthening. Kazakhstan’s Ministry of National Economy reported that bilateral trade reached $541.8 million in 2025. Both governments have set an ambitious target of increasing annual trade turnover to $3 billion in the coming years.
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