Afghan authorities have made progress in fight against corruption: UN

The Afghan authorities have made heady in their fight against corruption although enormous changes remains, according to a new UN report. Titled ‘Afghanistan's Fight Against Corruption: The Other Battlefield', the report states that key component of Afghanistan's fight against corruption...

Ghani inaugurated Kamal Khan dam phase-3 construction in Nimroz

President Mohammad Ashraf Ghani inaugurated the construction work of the third phase of Kamal Khan dam in western Nimroz province of Afghanistan. The Government Media and Information Center said President Ghani was accompanied by a delegation of high level officials as he arrived in Zaranj, the provincial...

Ring construction worth 256 million kicks off in Laghman province

The construction of a ring road worth 256 million Afghanis kicked off in eastern Laghman province of Afghanistan. A ceremony was organized in Mehtarlam city, the provincial capital of Laghman to inaugurate the construction work of the ring. According to the local government officials, the construction...

Pistachio harvest in NE Afghanistan expected to surpass 1,000 tons

The pistachio fields in northeastern Badakhshan province of Afghanistan is expected to surpass 1,000 tons during the current year, according to the officials. According to the officials in the ministry of agriculture, irrigation, and livestock, around 151 hectares of pistachio fields are available in...

Iran Named Afghanistan�s Largest Trade Partner in 2016: ACCI

Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI) on Sunday said Iran retained its position as the country's largest trade partner for 2016. Statistics by the ACCI shows that Iran's trade value with Afghanistan for 2016 was $1.8 billion USD. However trade volumes between Afghanistan and...

Japan provides $12m in fresh aid to Afghanistan for irrigation and fiscal support

The Government of Japan has contributed over USD 12 million to the Government of Afghanistan to support improvement of irrigation systems in Afghanistan and to provide fiscal support to the Government of Afghanistan. The funding, contributed through the Afghanistan Reconstruction Trust Fund (ARTF),...

Central Bank Sets Deadline To Hand In Defaced Banknotes

The Central Bank of Afghanistan (CBA) on Wednesday announced that as from Nawroz, the bank will no longer accept tatty, torn or defaced banknotes.   Members of the public can exchange these notes at any bank, said CBA officials. Banks will in turn give clients new notes.      Based...

Afghanistan to profit $1 billion annually for transit from TAPI pipeline

Afghanistan will get more than $1 billion in profit only from the transit of Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) pipeline once the project kicks off, it has been reported. Turkmenistan’s President Gurbanguly Berdimuhamedov quoted by Trend News agency has said “More than 12,000...

Trump vows support to help unearth Afghanistan�s massive natural resources

The president-elect of the United States Donald Trump vowed support under his upcoming administration to help unearth Afghanistan’s massive natural resources which include some of the world’s rare earth elements. Trump made the commitment during a tlelphone conversation with the Afghan...

Tiles factory in Mazar city to resume production with India�s support

The tiles factory in northern Mazar-e-Sharif city will resume production in the near future as the project to resume the operations of the factory is close to conclusion with the support of India. The Indian Ambassador to Afghanistan Manpreet Vohra informed regarding the finalization of the project...

Draft Agreement Finalized to Link Afghanistan with Black, Mediterranean Sea

The draft agreement for Lazuli route was finalized between Afghanistan, Turkmenistan, Azerbaijan, Georgia, and Turkey to link Afghanistan with Black and Mediterranean Sea. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) said the draft agreement was finalized during a meeting at the ministry of transport...

Takata agrees to pay $1bn in air bag scandal

Japanese car parts maker Takata has agreed to pay one billion dollars in fines in the US for concealing information about faulty air bags. The Japanese firm will pay $25 million fine to settle the criminal charge, $125 million to people injured by the airbags and $850 million to carmakers that used...

Afghanistan signs $205m road construction project with a Chinese firm

A major road construction project was signed with a Chinese firm in the presence of Mohammad Ashraf Ghani this evening. The project road project, Dara-e-Suf to Yakawlang, was awarded to a Chinese firm after its bid of $204.9 million was approved by the government and was signed by Public Works Minister...

Afghanistan signs grant agreements worth $128 million with World Bank

Two grant agreements worth $128 million were signed between the Ministry of Finance of Afghanistan and the World Bank, covering two key sectors – Farm Water Management Project and Hydropower Rehabilitation Project. The Ministry of Finance in a statement said $45 million of the funds has been...

Global oil prices fall below 12-year low of $25 a barrel

Global oil prices have plunged to below USD 28 a barrel for the first time in past 12 years as a result of gloomy economic forecasts as well as continued economic slowdown in China and abundant crude supplies. During morning deals on Wednesday, US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) for February...

Persian Gulf banks eye Iran prospects

Persian Gulf banks are weighing re-entry into the Iranian financial system after sanctions were officially lifted on Tehran Saturday. International companies are coveting business opportunities in a tempting market of about 80 million people -- the second-largest economy in the Middle East and...

State-owned Indian firm commissions two 220/20kV substations in Afghanistan

A state-owned Indian firm has commission two 220/20kV substations in Charikar district of Parwan and Doshi district of northern Baghlan province. The company – Bharat Heavy Exlectricals Limited (Bhel) said “Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (Bhel) has commissioned two 220/20kV substations...

Millions Lost To Pakistan By Afghan Trade Sector: ACCI

Deeply concerned over continued trade and transit disputes between Afghanistan and Pakistan, officials from the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Industries (ACCI) on Monday accused Pakistan of not abiding by its commitments over the Afghanistan-Pakistan Trade and Transit Agreement (APTTA). Pakistan,...

�Britain might be forced to reduce interest rates�

The Bank of England's chief economist has warned of further cuts to the UK's interest rates over ‘another' financial crisis.  Interest rates in the UK may have to be cut further from their record low level as Andy Haldane highlighted signs that the global financial crisis is...

Ghani calls for 'national jihad' against bribery
Afghanistan president targets corruption

As he nears his first anniversary in office, Afghanistan’s president faces daunting challenges on every front, from a deteriorating economy and political infighting to a wave of bomb attacks that continue to terrorize the country’s capital. Among these challenges, Ashraf Ghani singled...

Afghanistan�s mining law draft to be ready by year-end

The Ministry of Mines and Petroleum announced on Monday that the mining law draft was being prepared and would be submitted to the parliament by the end of this year. The mining law will serve as the legal basis for mining and for better utilization of Afghanistan’s mineral resources. Last...

Afghanistan�s Natural Resources under the sight of Islamic State

Pentagon in a new report says that Islamic State group is eyeing on the Natural Resources of Afghanistan. Citing the Pentagon report, The Diplomat an online international news magazine that also writes analysis says that even though it is unknown if Islamic State would be able to hold swaths of land...

Afghanistan�s dried and fresh fruits export to reach 55,000 tons this year

Export Promotion Agency of Afghanistan (EPAA) predicts a 15,000 ton increase in export of dried and fresh fruits. Head of the dried and fresh fruits department of EPAA, Mohammad Mustafa Hashemi, said Afghanistan failed to export the set target of 50,000 tons of fruits last year due to political...

Afghan Mines Minister committed to transparency and accountability in mining industry

Mapping out his 100-Day plan, Afghanistan’s Minister of Mines and Petroleum Daud Shah Saba said he was committed to reinforcing transparency and accountability within his ministry. He plans to establish an accountable system to collect revenue generated through the mining and petroleum sectors. In...

Saba: Daesh Seeking to Exploit Mines for Funding

Minister of Mines and Petroleum Daud Shah Saba told lawmakers in Parliament on Monday that the Daesh group is a grave threat to the Afghan mining industry. Decreased interest from foreign companies in investing in the Afghan mining sector, including the voiding of the Aynak copper mine and Hajigak...

Border Police Arrest Suspended Urban Development Ministry Officials

Border police in Shighnan district of northern Badakhshan province on Monday confirmed that three dismissed officials from the Ministry of Urban Development Affairs accused of corruption were arrested while trying to flee the country. Those arrested include: Mohammad Amin Qane, the former head of...

Minister of Mines Looks to Clear Air Around Hajigak Mine Controversy

Responding to news about the cancelation of a contract to develop the Hajigak mine, Daud Shah Sabah, the Minister of Mines and Petroleum, maintained on Monday that no contract was ever signed and that the Indian consortium leading the bidding process was always allowed to pull out of its bid.In his...

EU to lift ban on Afghan airlines by the end of 2015

Afghan Ministry of Transport and Civil Aviation (MoTCA) announced on Friday that the European Union (EU)P is expected to end ban on Afghan airlines by the end of this year. The ban on Afghan airlines came in 2010 after Afghanistan failed to comply in time with a EU order to update aviation regulations...

Oil prices up as market struggles to remain strong

Oil prices have grown as the market struggles to build on last months’ strong gains, following sharp falls earlier in the year. North Sea Brent crude for delivery in June traded $59.49 a barrel, up 56 cents, while US benchmark West Texas Intermediate (WTI) won 56 cents to $59.49 a barrel on...

Suspects in MoD Fuel Contract Scandal Distance Themselves

Abdul Hady Arghandiwal, the former minister of economy, has been accused of corruption related to his role as a member of the Special Procurement Commission presiding over the now infamous Ministry of Defense (MoD) fuel contracting process. On Tuesday, while he did not deny that corruption existed...