Economic Impact of US Presence in Afghanistan: Achievements and Failures
The economic impact of the 20-year presence of US forces in Afghanistan is a subject that requires further exploration, alongside other significant topics.
Some experts claim that during these two decades, four trillion dollars were poured into the country, resulting in some work in various sectors of Afghanistan’s infrastructure. However, challenges such as financial and administrative corruption and ongoing wars over these twenty years prevented growth in sectors like industry, road construction, railways, dam-building for energy production, and mining. Afghanistan remained consistently dependent on international humanitarian aid.
Investments in establishing the three branches of government, developing education, higher education, telecommunications, creating media outlets, banking, and tax systems, rebuilding some airports, efforts to develop and grow the agricultural sector, and rebuilding other areas of infrastructure over more than two decades of the US and its allies’ presence in Afghanistan are considered important achievements of that period. However, these efforts could not transform Afghanistan into a self-sufficient country.
Sayed Masoud, an economic analyst, told TOLOnews: “Out of four trillion dollars, we used 140 billion for reconstruction and 850 billion or more to elevate Afghanistan’s economic level, which totals one trillion dollars. Three trillion dollars were stolen.”
Mir Shakeb Mir, another economic expert, said: “The US forces, and in general the international forces, during their twenty years of presence in Afghanistan, carried out some economic activities, including the development of airports such as Mazar-e-Sharif Airport and Kandahar Airport, the expansion of irrigation and water supply systems, and the development of the electricity system.”
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Economy, on the occasion of the third anniversary of the end of more than two decades of US and allied presence in Afghanistan, stated that during this period, no fundamental work was done for the growth and development of Afghanistan’s economy, and the Islamic Emirate is striving to restore the country’s infrastructure.
Abdul Latif Nazari, the technical deputy of the Ministry of Economy, said: “Over the past twenty years, no fundamental or basic work was done for the growth and development of the country’s economy, and no reasonable plan was implemented regarding economic infrastructure.”
On the other hand, officials in the Chambers of Commerce, Investment, Industries, and Mines said that despite billions of dollars flowing into the reconstruction of various sectors in Afghanistan, little attention was paid to Afghan production. These officials believe that if international aid is still spent on infrastructure projects such as energy production, Afghanistan could achieve self-sufficiency in addition to reducing poverty.
Sakhi Ahmad Paiman, the first deputy of the Chamber of Industries and Mines, said: “It is evident to everyone that the aid was not properly managed, was rarely spent on infrastructure projects, and part of the aid was wasted. In the industrial sector of Afghanistan, despite the volume of aid provided, the least amount of assistance was absorbed.”
Jan Agha Nawid, spokesperson for the Chamber of Commerce and Investment, stated: “Currently, there is a need to work on infrastructure projects and revenue-generating projects that provide job opportunities for our people.”
While some Afghan businessmen have invested billions of dollars in other countries, such as Pakistan, Iran, the United Arab Emirates, Central Asian countries, and Turkey, a United Nations report indicated that half of Afghanistan’s population lives in poverty, and one in four Afghans does not know where their next meal will come from.
