Taliban’s developmental and economic achievements in the last three years have been formed in the special political, security and social conditions of Afghanistan. After the fall of the government of the Republic of Afghanistan in August 2021 and the Taliban’s domination of the country, many developments have taken place in the economic and development sectors, and a comprehensive and impartial look at these changes requires an examination of the key achievements and challenges faced by this group.
Taliban’s economic achievements in the last three years
One of the economic developments after the Taliban came to power, was a significant decrease in the amount of foreign aid. Unlike the previous government, which was heavily dependent on international aid, the Taliban have tried to use domestic resources to finance government expenditures. One of the most important sources of the Taliban in this regard is the income from customs and taxes. Some reports show that the Taliban had a better management in the customs department than the previous government and was able to reduce corruption in this department to some extent.
In addition to better management of customs and regular collection of taxes, the Taliban has also paid serious attention to the agriculture sector. Because the Taliban know very well that agriculture forms the pillar of Afghanistan’s economy, that’s why they have tried to turn this sector into one of the main sources of food supply in the country by developing agriculture.
But one of the challenges in this field is the international sanctions and restrictions that have made it difficult to provide the necessary equipment and materials for agriculture. Also, due to security conditions and lack of proper infrastructure, many agricultural areas have not yet reached their full potential.
On the other hand, the Taliban have tried to create job opportunities In some areas, especially in the construction and agricultural sectors. Also, employing domestic labor in development projects has been one of their methods to reduce unemployment. However, the lack of access to international resources and economic problems have caused the amount of employment to not reach the expected level.
Other efforts of the Taliban to improve the economic situation include stabilizing the national currency and controlling the inflation rate. The Afghanistan’s central bank under Taliban’s management has tried to keep the national currency stable against the dollar and other foreign currencies by implementing policies. This has helped to control inflation to some extent, but serious restrictions due to sanctions and lack of access to the country’s foreign exchange reserves continue to overshadow this economic stability.
The Taliban’s developmental achievements in the last three years
Afghanistan has a high potential for economic growth with rich resources of minerals (such as lithium, copper, iron, etc.). In order to exploit these resources, the Taliban have started several internal contracts and even some informal negotiations with foreign companies. However, due to the sanctions and the lack of international recognition of the Taliban government, these projects face many obstacles. There are also concerns about the transparent and effective management of natural resources and the risk of overuse of these resources.
In the field of infrastructure, the Taliban have invested in the reconstruction and improvement of roads, bridges and communication routes. These infrastructures are very important to facilitate the transportation of goods and people from remote areas to cities and other areas. Due to the financial limitations, the Taliban have worked on small and manageable projects, and in some areas, they have also carried out reconstructions, which have had positive effects, especially for rural areas.
In the health sector, the Taliban have tried to improve health services by increasing access to health services and promoting prevention and vaccination programs. Although these measures are not yet widespread due to budget constraints and lack of international support, efforts have been made to improve access to basic health services in deprived areas. Also, by focusing on supporting local medical centers and relying on domestic resources, the Taliban government is trying to reduce dependence on foreign aid in this area.
Despite some developmental and economic achievements, the Taliban are still facing serious challenges. The most important of these challenges are international sanctions, lack of access to foreign exchange reserves, and lack of official recognition by the international community, which has limited the implementation of large projects and access to foreign investment. Also, the security situation and internal conflicts in some areas threaten economic stability.
According to what was said, and despite the developmental and economic achievements of the Taliban, now this group must reconsider its policies and general positions and pay attention to the demands of the Afghan people. Because the Taliban can gain popular support by paying attention to people’s demands and gradually gain the grounds for lifting sanctions and international recognition, and finally it will be successful in the end, so that it can perform better in the developmental and economic fields.
Moslem Akhlaqi
