Mullah Abdul Ghani Beradar Akhund, the Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, chaired the second meeting of the Economic Commission in 1444 A.H. in Marmarin Palace

Aug 17, 2022

At this meeting, for the steering committee of the TAPI project—who meets annually at the level of governments—Haji Mullah Abdul Ghani Beradar, and for the TAPI company—who, when necessary, meets at the ministerial level—Sheikh Shahabuddin Delawar were introduced as representatives from Afghanistan. Its practical work will be started in Herat in the near future.

At this meeting, in order to strengthen the private banks, the Economic Commission requested the Supreme Court to establish a special court for the quick resolution of banking cases, and it was also decided that the courts of Afghanistan should start issuing sharia deeds for properties. The private construction work should be restarted. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Da Afghanistan Bank should try to coordinate with the donor organizations to transfer cash humanitarian aid through several private banks instead of one bank. The Ministry of Foreign Affairs should try to open bank accounts for private banks in neighboring and other countries. The Da Afghanistan Bank should give deposits to private banks with the help of the Ministry of Finance. According to the capacity of the bank, the salaries of government employees should be transferred through private banks. In the field of Islamic banking, private banks should benefit from the experience of Iran, Pakistan, and Malaysia, and in accordance with Sharia, private banks should start providing Islamic loans (Mudarabah, Murabahah, and Salam) to the people based on the procedures of the Central Bank.

At this meeting, it was also decided that a joint competent and professional delegation should be selected from the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum, the Ministry of Water and Energy; the Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock; the Ministry of Economy, the Ministry of Industry and Trade, and the Afghanistan Railway Authority to discuss economic issues with Iran. This delegation will discuss various topics with Iran in the near future.

The Economic Commission also decided that the Ministry of Water and Energy should conduct the first survey and design of the Sultan Ibrahim Dara – which generates 20 megawatts of electricity and irrigates 250,000 acres of land- and Sheraba dams in Sar-e-Pol province. The estimated cost for both dams is $124 million.

At this meeting of the Economic Commission, the Ministry of Public Works and the Ministry of Urban Development were tasked with completing the survey and design of the ring road of Sar-e-Pol Province. At this meeting, it was also decided that the construction work of another dam will be started in Sar-e-Pol province at a cost of 4 million Afghanis, which will irrigate 7 thousand hectares of land.