Dubai workshop discusses ways to strengthen Afghanistan’s payment system

More than 100 experts gathered at a workshop in Dubai on Thursday to discuss ways to strengthen Afghanistan’s payment system to help revive the private sector and create jobs.

World Bank’s country director for Afghanistan, Melinda Good, said the two-day workshop was attended by experts from domestic and international banks, digital providers, international partners and civil society.

“A reliable and transparent system will help build confidence in payments and ensure that aid for the Afghan people goes to the Afghan people and help the private sector, which employs many Afghans,” she said.

Afghanistan’s banking system has been severely hampered by sanctions, a drop in liquidity from frozen central bank assets and a cut in development spending. Regulatory risk concerns of international banks have also largely cut off the country’s formal banking sector from the global financial system.

Da Afghanistan Bank says it wants to expand its relations with the international institutions.

“Da Afghanistan Bank wants good banking relations with all national and international institutions in light of international laws and regulations and wants to expand these relations,” said Hasibullah Noori, the spokesman for Da Afghanistan Bank.

Economic experts also say that if the World Bank cooperates with private banks and the private sector of Afghanistan in solving banking problems, the current economic crisis in Afghanistan will end quickly.