Business
Headline inflation in Afghanistan down to -10.2% in January: World Bank
In January 2024, headline inflation experienced a significant downturn, reaching -10.2 percent on a year-on-year basis, the World Bank said in a report.
This substantial drop was largely due to a sharp decline in prices across both food and non-food categories, the report said.
Moreover, core inflation, which strips out the typically volatile food and energy sectors, also fell into negative territory, posting a rate of -6.5 percent on year-on-year basis.
“This ongoing core deflation reflects a troubling inability of both private and public sectors to stimulate sufficient demand. While this period of falling prices may offer temporary financial relief to the most vulnerable households by reducing the cost of living, it can also harm the broader macroeconomy,” the World Bank said.
According to the bank, Afghanistan’s exports contracted by 5 percent on year-on-year basis to $140.5 million in January 2024, down from $148.1 million the previous January.
Food exports to India jumped by 22 percent, compared to an 18 percent decline in Pakistan. Pakistan and India continued to be the top export destinations, claiming 45 percent and 34 percent of the total exports in January 2024, respectively.
The 2023 growth trend in imports extended into January 2024, hitting $830 million, up 37 percent from $600 million in January 2023.
According to the report, in 2023, the afghani (AFN) saw a significant 27 percent appreciation against the US dollar, buoyed by the influx of around $1.8 billion in UN cash shipments and an estimated $2 billion in remittances.
Revenues have been below the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan’s (IEA) target during the first eleven months of FY2024, with border taxes underperforming despite a surge in imports.
Over the eleven-month span of FY2024, from March 22, 2023, to February 21, 2024, Afghanistan’s revenue collection reached AFN 189 billion, narrowly missing the target by 2 percent but marking a 5.6 percent increase from the previous fiscal year, the report said.
Trade in goods and services between the United Kingdom and Afghanistan declined by 16.7 percent to £70 million in the 12 months to the end of June 2026, according to the latest figures published by the UK Department for Business and Trade.
The department’s trade and investment factsheet, released on November 6, shows that bilateral trade fell by £14 million compared with the same period a year earlier.
UK exports to Afghanistan totalled £57 million, down 18.6 percent or £13 million, while imports from Afghanistan stood at £13 million, representing a 7.1 percent decline.
The figures show that goods accounted for £32 million, or 45.7 percent, of total trade, while services made up the remaining £38 million, or 54.3 percent.
UK exports to Afghanistan included beverages, pharmaceutical products, dairy products, road vehicles and industrial machinery.
Vegetables and fruit were the leading Afghan goods exports to the UK, worth £1.7 million. Clothing and textile fabrics were also among the main products exported.
The report ranks Afghanistan as the UK’s 166th-largest trading partner, accounting for less than 0.1 percent of the UK’s total trade during the period.
Business
Afghanistan and Russia discuss expanding trade and investment ties
Both sides highlighted the importance of closer cooperation between the Afghan and Russian private sectors.
Afghanistan and Russia have discussed ways to strengthen bilateral trade, expand private-sector cooperation and attract new investment during a meeting in Kabul.
Inayatullah Sediqzi, Deputy Head of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) for Services, met with Russian Ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirnov on the sidelines of an event marking Russia’s National Unity Day on Wednesday, November 4.
The event was hosted by the Russian Embassy in Kabul.
According to a statement from the ACCI, discussions focused on boosting economic relations, increasing bilateral trade and creating greater opportunities for businesspeople and investors from both countries.
Both sides highlighted the importance of closer cooperation between the Afghan and Russian private sectors, exploring new areas of economic partnership and establishing stronger direct links between their respective business communities.
The discussions reflect Afghanistan’s continued efforts to expand economic engagement with regional and international partners, with increased trade, private-sector development and foreign investment remaining key priorities.
Afghanistan’s pine nut exports increased by 69 percent in the first seven months of the current solar year 1405 compared with the same period last year, reaching $72 million, the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment (ACCI) says.
According to chamber officials, the value of pine nut exports stood at $42 million during the first seven months of last year. The product has been exported to European countries, India and, particularly, China.
Meanwhile, officials at the Ministry of Industry and Commerce say they have taken steps since the beginning of the year to expand pine nut exports and identify new markets for the product.
However, some economic experts say pine nuts are among Afghanistan’s key export products and that relevant government ministries, particularly the Ministry of Industry and Commerce, should strengthen efforts to promote the product and secure access to new markets.
Afghan pine nuts are also exported to China, India, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, the United States, the United Kingdom, Italy, Germany, Australia, Turkey, Austria and Kuwait.
Experts emphasize that pine nut packaging should be improved to meet the requirements and standards of different international markets in order to further increase exports.
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