Business
IMF, Afghanistan reach preliminary agreement over Extended Credit Facility
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) and the Afghanistan authorities have reached a preliminary agreement on an economic reform program to be supported by a new three-and-half year US$364 million Extended Credit Facility (ECF).
This announcement comes just three months before the United Nations’ donor pledging conference for Afghanistan gets underway.
In a statement issued by the IMF on Friday, the fund said the ECF will help mitigate the economic impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, maintain macroeconomic stability, and underpin reforms for economic resilience and good governance.
The fund also stated that continued financial assistance from international partners is critical to support objectives of Afghanistan’s National Peace and Development Framework for 2021-25, including inclusive growth, poverty reduction, and self-reliance.
Leading the IMF’s team was Azim Sadikov, and virtual discussions were held with Afghan officials through July and August on the country’s economic reform program.
Sadikov said however that the agreement is subject to the approval of the IMF’s Executive Board, which would possibly consider the agreement in October after preliminary conditions have been met by Afghan authorities, including the improvement of accountability and transparency in procurement processes.
“The new ECF arrangement will support authorities’ reform program to maintain macroeconomic stability and lay the ground for a sustained post-pandemic economic recovery while continuing to advance structural reforms,” Sadikov said.
He said the reform program aims to gradually reverse the fiscal decline due to the pandemic and instead create space for development sending while increasing self-reliance.
He stated improvements in customs collections and revenue administration need to be improved and the planned Value Added Tax (VAT) process needs to be implemented in 2022.
“Monetary policy will continue to focus on maintaining price stability and a flexible exchange rate regime, while fostering confidence in the Afghani,” Sadikov said.
He also said that reforms, in accordance with the new ECF arrangement, will focus on addressing issues that hamper economic growth and resilience.
“To that end, the program will aim to improve fiscal governance, strengthen the anti-corruption regime, and bolster the financial sector,” he said.
“Bolstering the financial sector, including by completing the reform of state-owned banks, will also be important to boost its capacity to contribute to growth.
“Coming before the November pledging conference, the ECF arrangement is expected to catalyze donor financing, which is critical to support Afghanistan’s reform and development objectives under the multi-year National Peace and Development Framework,” he said.
The pledging conference is organized every four years and was last held in 2016 in Brussels.
This year, Finland will host the conference, which will be organized by both the UN and Afghanistan.
Previous international financial commitments largely end by December of this year.
Ariana Afghan Airlines has announced a reduction in cargo service rates on the Kabul–Delhi route as part of efforts to support Afghanistan’s trade and export sector.
The airline said the new cargo rate has been set at $1.20 per kilogram, a move intended to make air freight more affordable and accessible for Afghan traders and exporters.
Bakht-ur-Rahman Sharafat, head of Ariana Afghan Airlines, said the decision is expected to play a significant role in increasing exports of domestic products and strengthening commercial activity between Afghanistan and India.
He added that Ariana will continue to introduce new measures in the future to improve its services and better meet the needs of its customers.
Thirteen trade and investment memorandums of understanding (MoUs) worth more than $100 million were signed between private sector representatives of Afghanistan and Uzbekistan during a conference held in Kabul on Saturday.
The conference, which brought together business leaders and officials from both countries, focused on expanding bilateral economic cooperation, increasing trade volume, and identifying new investment opportunities.
Speaking at the event, Nooruddin Azizi, Minister of Industry and Commerce of Afghanistan, said economic relations between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan have gained notable momentum in recent months. He stressed that Afghanistan is actively working to strengthen regional trade ties and create a more favorable environment for investors.
Azizi added that Afghanistan offers significant investment potential, particularly due to its available workforce and emerging opportunities across multiple sectors, and is ready to welcome joint ventures with foreign partners.
Officials from the Ministry of Industry and Commerce of Afghanistan said the government has facilitated around $2 billion in investment across various sectors over the past year, reflecting growing investor interest in the country’s economy.
The Uzbek delegation also reiterated its commitment to expanding economic relations with Afghanistan, describing the agreements as an important step toward deeper regional cooperation.
Amanbay Orynbayev, head of Uzbekistan’s Karakalpakstan delegation, said his country places strong emphasis on long-term, transparent, and reliable economic partnerships. He encouraged Afghan traders to take advantage of joint investment opportunities to access new regional markets.
The Afghan private sector welcomed the agreements, expressing hope that increased trade engagement and business exchanges will further strengthen economic ties between the two neighboring countries.
Officials noted that the total value of agreements signed between Afghanistan and Uzbekistan has now exceeded $1.5 billion. If implemented effectively, these commitments are expected to contribute to increased trade flows and broader economic growth in Afghanistan.
A new multimodal freight corridor linking China and Afghanistan via Turkmenistan has been officially launched, aiming to improve the speed and efficiency of overland cargo transportation across Central Asia.
According to the Turkmenistan Embassy in London, the country has become part of a newly established route designed to accelerate freight deliveries between China and Afghanistan.
The corridor, developed with the involvement of Uzbekistan Railways’ subsidiary Uztemiryulcontainer, covers approximately 7,400 kilometers and is expected to reduce transit time to around 30 days, improving overall logistics efficiency.
Under the new route, containers are transported by rail from China through the Altynkol station in Kazakhstan, continuing via Uzbekistan to a logistics hub in Bukhara. From there, cargo is transferred to road transport and moved across Turkmenistan before reaching Herat in Afghanistan.
Officials say the new system integrates rail and road networks into a unified logistics chain, making transport more predictable and efficient.
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