Business
Tajikistan to increase power exports to Afghanistan
Tajikistan’s state-owned power company, Barki Tojik, has said it intends to increase electricity exports to Afghanistan, despite its own shortages.
According to the head of Barki Tojik, Mahmadumar Asozoda, Tajikistan will increase supply to Afghanistan this year by 17%.
Barki Tojik exported 2.7 billion kilowatt-hours in 2023, which was 124 million kilowatt-hours more than 2022. Of that total, some 1.6 billion kilowatt-hours were supplied to Afghanistan, Asozoda said.
Another 907.5 million kilowatt-hours of electricity was sold to Uzbekistan, and the remaining 144.6 million kilowatt hours went to Kazakhstan.
However, Asozoda also said that the increase to Afghanistan would come despite ongoing electricity rationing for Tajik households, Eurasianet reported.
A rationing regime has been in force for a number of winters in Tajikistan. When the temperature sinks below a certain level, output from the Nurek hydropower plant, which produces most of the country’s electricity needs, grinds to a near-halt.
Under the current system, Tajik households outside the country’s largest urban centers endure blackouts from 8 am to 5 pm and then from 10 pm to 5 am.
Asozoda noted that one factor that influenced their decision to increase power exports to Afghanistan was that the Islamic Emirate was proving to be a “reliable payer”.
On February 1, Tajik Energy and Water Resources Minister Daler Juma announced that Afghanistan had fully paid off its debts for power delivered to date.
IEA officials also confirmed that they had paid off their electricity bills — to the full amount of $627 million — to all its suppliers, which also include Iran, Uzbekistan and Turkmenistan.
Hafiz Naeemur Rehman, chief of Pakistan’s Jamaat-e-Islami Pakistan political party, has called for the immediate reopening of crossings along the disputed Durand Line and the regularisation of trade with Iran, warning that prolonged border restrictions are worsening economic hardship for communities on both sides.
Speaking at a public gathering in Zhob, in Pakistan’s Balochistan province, Rehman said restoring cross-border trade was essential for reviving Pakistan’s struggling economy and reducing pressure on ordinary citizens already grappling with inflation and unemployment.
He proposed the formation of a joint committee made up of tribal elders, business leaders and local representatives to help restore trade, resolve disputes and maintain stability along the border region.
Rehman also called for the establishment of special trade zones along the Durand Line to facilitate legal commerce and create employment opportunities in areas heavily dependent on cross-frontier movement.
The Jamaat-e-Islami leader criticised current management policies, alleging that crossings were being opened selectively for the benefit of a small group of traders while thousands of transport workers, merchants and families continued to suffer financially from the closures.
Major crossings along the Durand Line have remained largely shut since October 11 following intense clashes between Afghan and Pakistani forces and Pakistani airstrikes inside Afghanistan that reportedly killed dozens of people on both sides.
The violence sharply escalated already strained relations between Islamabad and Kabul, with Pakistan accusing Afghanistan-based militants of carrying out cross-border attacks, claims the Afghan authorities have repeatedly denied.
The prolonged restrictions have severely disrupted trade and travel between the two countries, particularly affecting frontier provinces where local economies rely heavily on the movement of goods, fuel and agricultural products.
Traders and transport unions in both Afghanistan and Pakistan have repeatedly warned that continued closures are causing heavy financial losses and worsening shortages in some areas.
Several major international pharmaceutical companies could invest in medicine production in Afghanistan as part of growing cooperation between UN agencies and Afghan authorities, who hope to strengthen the country’s healthcare system.
The development was highlighted during a meeting between Afghanistan’s Minister of Economy, Din Mohammad Hanif, and UNICEF Representative Tajudeen Oyewale, where discussions focused heavily on improving healthcare access and expanding pharmaceutical capacity.
UNICEF officials indicated that several global drug manufacturers are preparing to coordinate with Afghanistan’s Ministry of Public Health on establishing or supporting local medicine production.
The aim is to improve the availability of essential medicines for humanitarian operations while also strengthening supply in domestic markets.
The proposed investments are expected to reduce Afghanistan’s reliance on imported pharmaceuticals and improve access to essential treatments, particularly in areas affected by economic hardship and ongoing humanitarian needs.
Alongside the pharmaceutical plans, UNICEF reaffirmed its continued commitment to humanitarian assistance in Afghanistan, including programmes addressing food insecurity, climate-related pressures, and support for returning migrants.
According to figures discussed in the meeting, $520 million has been requested from international donors to support returnees. Of this, $100 million is allocated for emergency assistance, while $420 million is intended for longer-term resettlement and reintegration support.
Afghan authorities welcomed the prospect of expanded pharmaceutical investment, with Din Mohammad Hanif stressing the importance of development cooperation, job creation, and increased international engagement to support economic stability.
Officials said strengthening the pharmaceutical sector could become a key pillar in Afghanistan’s broader efforts to improve healthcare resilience and move toward greater self-sufficiency in essential medical supplies.
Afghanistan has sharply increased imports of grain from Kazakhstan, with deliveries rising 2.3-fold between September 2025 and May 20, 2026, according to Kazakhstan’s Agriculture Ministry.
During that period, Kazakhstan exported around 3 million tons of grain to Afghanistan, compared to 1.3 million tons in the same period a year earlier.
The increase comes as Afghanistan’s Finance Ministry said this week that wheat imports into the country have risen by 345% following changes in customs tariffs aimed at supporting domestic production. According to the ministry, tariffs on imported wheat flour were gradually increased from 5% to 8%, while duties on wheat imports were reduced to encourage local flour processing.
Officials said nearly 198,000 tons of wheat were imported during the first two months of the 1405 fiscal year, compared to 44,000 tons during the same period last year. The ministry added that the policy has helped expand operations at domestic flour factories, increase local production, and create more job opportunities.
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