Ghani: Afghanistan’s imports reached to an extent which is shameful

Afghan President Muhammad Ashraf Ghani says that Afghanistan imports more than 3 billion annually which is a shame for our country.

Ghani emphasizes that as long as infrastructure not created, the ground would not use as a capital or investment in Afghanistan.

“We have $ 3 billion import yearly which is a shame for us. We do not use our resources. Another worse thing is that the Afghan women give opium to their children,” President Ghani said.

President noted that the government failed to eliminate the gap between farms, city and the world.

He also stressed that those who prevents public interest in the system will be seriously dealt.

In the meantime, Sadat Naderi, minister of Urban Development say, “Our biggest problem is land acquisition. We have many problems and challenges in implementation of projects.”

This comes as Afghanistan Economic activity remained slow in the first half of 2015. Investor and consumer confidence was low as the political and security situation worsened and the National unity government struggled to deliver on anticipated reforms.

Agriculture production is projected to be slightly higher than in 2014, based on initial estimates, with good harvests of wheat, fruit, and vegetables. Construction, trade, and services remained depressed. Foreign direct investment declined by 30% in the first half of the year.

After more than a decade of Western aid projects designed to make the Afghan economy self-sustaining, government revenue continues to fall short of projections, leaving the country in dire economic straits just as foreign funding begins to dry up.

Afghan officials plan to request additional funds from foreign donors to make up for the shortfall. But as the United States and NATO draw down financial and military assistance this year, those emergency funds are far from guaranteed.

Afghanistan will need more than $7 billion annually for the next decade to sustain a functional government, maintain infrastructure and fund the Afghan army and police, according to the World Bank. But there are already signs that foreign donors might not have an appetite for such a commitment.