Aseel has become an online marketplace that connects the aspiring skilled artisans from developing countries with global buyers who value unique, artistic handmade products. The platform caters to a diverse audience, offering a wide array of products ranging from handmade ceramics, art/painting, wooden products, bags and accessories, jewellery, and books. Practising the principle of “Buy Good,” every item showcases a captivating fusion of timeless and contemporary designs.

Another principle at the core of Aseel’s operations is “Do Good,” where a transparent and seamless aid platform works to ensure each donated dollar reaches the right hand. It offers its global users various options, from donating emergency packages, launching or exploring the latest Campaigns and Grand Challenges, to allowing Aseel to decide.

Aseel recently introduced an update to its app called “DirectAid Beta,” which presents a three-in-one approach: Send Aid, Track Aid, and Receive a Video, aiming to make aid delivery more transparent, engaging, and impactful. Through partnerships with reputable organisations and “Atalan Network,” the company delivers crucial humanitarian assistance to vulnerable Afghan families and individuals with registered Omid IDs.

Aseel has launched another large-scale humanitarian initiative to support returnees arriving in Afghanistan. To know more about the campaign, International Finance caught up with Nasrat Khalid, the founder and CEO of Aseel app, who shed further insights into the initiative and “Campaign + by Aseel,” another crowdfunding effort.

Could you share details about Aseel’s recently launched large-scale humanitarian initiative to support returnees arriving in Afghanistan?

At Aseel, we believe the journey doesn’t end with emergency aid—it starts there. Many aid efforts tend to be one-off responses, but we’re building a long-term pathway for returnees to rebuild their lives with dignity. Our approach begins by registering individuals upon arrival and providing immediate support: emergency nutrition packages, trauma care kits for children (including toys), and temporary shelters like tents. But we don’t stop at relief—our work continues as these families return to their home provinces.

A key component of our campaign is the registration of returnee families through our Omid ID system. This digital identification allows us to track families wherever they move within Afghanistan and ensures that aid can be delivered to them consistently, even beyond the border area. Through our Atalan Network—a dedicated group of local humanitarians—we reconnect with each family to ensure they’re not forgotten. This last-mile delivery system helps us offer continued support and reintegration assistance at the community level.

Given the scale of Aseel’s humanitarian efforts, what logistical or financial challenges has the campaign encountered?

Aseel’s humanitarian campaign for Afghan returnees at Torkham has faced several logistical and financial challenges. Torkham is located around one and a half hours from Jalalabad city, which already makes aid delivery time-consuming. On top of that, some essential supplies, especially shelter items and tents, are not available in bulk in Jalalabad. We often have to transport these items from Kabul, which is about six to seven hours away, adding both time and cost to the process.

While we haven’t faced issues with storage, the short stay of many returnees at the border camp creates an additional challenge. Most families leave shortly after arrival, making it hard to distribute aid directly at the camp. To solve this, we’ve introduced the Omid ID system.

Each family is registered and given an Omid Card, allowing us to locate and assist them once they reach their final destination in any province. This system helps us continue to support them even after they leave the camp and ensures they don’t have to carry heavy aid supplies themselves.

Financially, the increasing number of returnees is placing growing pressure on our resources. Fundraising takes time, and even when we reach our targets, the funds usually cover only a small group of those in need.

Shelter kits and clothing kits are especially costly, so we rely on surveys to prioritise the most vulnerable families. With more funding, we could expand this support to reach many more individuals and provide more comprehensive assistance.

Could you elaborate on the types of support Aseel provides to returnees, and share the measurable impact the initiative has made so far?

Our campaign has already reached over 800 individuals with emergency food packages delivered directly to their tents. We’re now scaling this effort day by day—aiming to serve 500, then 5,000, and beyond. Every new arrival receives a one-week emergency food package as we assist with their transition back to their home provinces. Our next step is to give them temporary shelters for a week and then arrange transportation to their home province.

Can you provide insights into Aseel’s crowdfunding initiative, “Campaign + by Aseel,” and how it supports humanitarian relief?

Campaign+ is Aseel’s purpose-built crowdfunding tool for humanitarian crises like the current returnee emergency. Unlike platforms based in the world’s 20 wealthiest countries, Campaign+ empowers underserved nations to raise funds transparently. Donors receive clear, verifiable proof of impact through images, videos, and documents, showing exactly how their contributions helped.

Could you tell us about collaborations or partnerships Aseel has formed with international NGOs or global humanitarian organisations?

Aseel has partnered with top global institutions to rethink humanitarian aid from the ground up. Our platform, AidOS, was developed through structured research and collaboration with organisations like USAID and MIT. Additional partnerships with groups like Humanity during Ramadan, and cultural initiatives such as a circus show for children affected by the Herat earthquake, show how we combine relief with dignity, joy, and innovation.

Tell us more about “Aseel Atalan,” and how it connects purpose-driven individuals around the world to those in need.

Atalans, meaning “heroes,” are the backbone of our delivery system. They manage the last mile of distribution by picking up care packages from local vendors and delivering them directly to verified beneficiaries. Like modern logistics networks, they’re equipped to provide donors with proof of delivery, ensuring transparency and accountability in every action.

Additionally, Aseel Atalan is built as a robust network to support artisans who create handmade products. From identifying talented artisans in their communities to facilitating shipping overseas, Atalan’s initiatives help transform struggling families into sustainable earners through digital solutions.

Could you explain in detail what “Omid ID” is and how it allows donors to send direct aid to those in need?

Omid ID was recognised as a semifinalist by MIT Solve for its smart approach to humanitarian aid. It’s a special ID card that includes each beneficiary’s verified information and a wishlist of what they need. When a donor selects a care package, our system matches it to someone whose wishlist includes that exact item, making sure the help is relevant and impactful. A powerful example comes from the recent floods in Baghlan.

One affected person shared that he had lost his home and almost everything in it, but he was receiving wheat. What he needed most at that moment was a tent, followed by cooking equipment. This is exactly the kind of gap Omid ID helps to fill. By letting people share what they need, we ensure every donation is useful, timely, and truly life-changing.

The post Technology connects donors to real human needs: Aseel CEO Nasrat Khalid appeared first on International Finance.

The former minister, who has an MBA degree from Preston University and a Master’s in Economics from the University of Illinois, also works as an adjunct professor at Georgetown University which fetches him $2,000 in a semester.

According to a Washington Post article, Payenda is now aiming to complete 50 trips in two weeks to take home a bonus of $95. As fate would have it, Payenda had once overseen a budget of $6 billion and is now content by earning around $150 for driving his Honda Accord on Uber in the US capital.

In an interaction with WaPo, he said this transition from being one of the most powerful persons in the battle-stricken country to a gig worker in the US has also taken a toll on his mind. He said that while he was grateful for being able to support his family, he does not feel at home and is feeling empty.

In the interview, he expressed his disappointment of the democratic regime in Afghanistan falling prey to the hands of the Taliban and the US’s decision to abandon the civilian administration.

The former minister has 18 years of experience in diverse and high-level experience in economic & public policy management, international development, public finance management, governance, and leadership in the public sector, aid effectiveness, and institutional development.

Specialties: Public Administration & Governance, Economic Policy Advice, PFM, Macroeconomic and Fiscal Analysis, Leadership, Management and Economics Training.

Before his role in the Afghani government, Payenda was a senior policy advisor at the Asian Development Bank and had also worked as an economist at The World Bank in the country.

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This decision also comes during a time when the IMF is pressurised by the US treasury which holds a controlling share in the Fund, to ensure that Afghanistan’s share of a Special Drawing Rights reserves allocation scheduled for Monday does not fall into the Taliban hands.

An IMF spokesperson said in an emailed statement, “There is currently a lack of clarity within the international community regarding recognition of a government in Afghanistan, as a consequence of which the country cannot access SDRs or other IMF resources. As is always the case, the IMF is guided by the views of the international community.”

Access to IMF’s reserves in Special Drawing Rights (SDRs) assets which can be converted to government-backed money have also been blocked. SDRs are the IMF’s unit of exchange based on sterling, dollars, euros, yen and yuan.

The official Biden administration told the media that any central bank assets the Afghan government has in the US will not be made available to the Taliban. Earlier in this announcement, the head of Afghanistan’s central bank said the US had access to assets and around $7 billion of it are held at a US federal reserve.

Ajmal Ahmady, who fled the country at the weekend, tweeted that Da Afghanistan Bank’s total reserves were approximately $9 billion as of last week and as per international standards, most of it was held in safe, liquid assets such as US Treasury bonds and gold offshore.

In June, the IMF gave Afghanistan its latest loan instalment which was approved in November and in the same month, the UN published a report which stated that the main sources of Taliban financing are criminal activities like drug trafficking, opium poppy production, extortion, kidnapping for ransom, mineral exploitation and revenues from tax collection in areas under Taliban control or influence.

The post IMF suspends Afghanistan’s access to SDRs over lack of clarity recognising a new government appeared first on International Finance.

President Ghani was joined by Ashok Bhargava, Director of Energy Division of ADB’s Central and West Asia Department; Samuel Tumiwa, ADB Country Director for Afghanistan; cabinet ministers; and members of parliament at the ceremony. The contracts, totaling US$80mn, are part of an overall US$415mn grant, which includes US$188.23mn from ADB’s Special Funds; US$225.77mn in cofinancing from the Afghanistan Infrastructure Trust Fund (AITF), supported by the Governments of Belgium, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, and the United States; and US$1mn from the People’s Republic of China Poverty Reduction and Regional Cooperation Fund.

“Access to efficient and reliable power supply can help Afghanistan attract higher levels of private investments to help boost economic growth and create employment opportunities in the country,” said Mr Tumiwa. “The contracts, which have been signed, reaffirms ADB’s long-standing commitment to support the Government of Afghanistan’s energy development priorities and enhancing regional connectivity.”

Afghanistan highly relies on energy imports from neighboring countries to meet its domestic demand. Despite significant progress since 2002, only about 32% of the population has access to grid-connected electricity, which increases the cost of doing business and is detrimental to the environment.

The contracts include construction of (i) new 220-kilovolt (kV) substation in Bamyan province and expansion of 220/20 kV Doshi substation (ii) 20,000 new household connections in Bamyan (iii) 180-kilometer 220-kV transmission line from Doshi to Bamyan, which will help expand the grid to at least 8 additional provinces.

Further investment under the same project will include the construction of a new 500-megawatt back-to-back converter station at Dashte Alwan in Baghlan to connect a new 500-kV interconnection line with Turkmenistan with another 500-kV line stretching to Kabul. The converter will allow Turkmen power into the Afghan grid under the 10-year power purchase and sales agreement signed in November 2015 between the two countries.

Once completed, nearly 150,000 people will be connected to the grid-connected electricity and, as a result, the economic opportunities and livelihoods of the people of Central Afghanistan will be improved.

ADB is Afghanistan’s largest development partner in the energy sector with cumulative grant assistance of nearly US$2.2bn, all of which is on budget with the government. ADB has helped deliver electricity to more than 5mn people in Afghanistan. Over the coming years, ADB will support the increase in the country’s electrification rate from 30% to 83% and lift the share of domestic generation from 20% to 67% by 2030. ADB will also play a major role in power transmission both regionally and domestically, and promote clean energy including solar power.

The post ADB helps to enhance energy security, connectivity in Central Afghanistan appeared first on International Finance.

Today, 15 years after that first call, nearly 20 million Afghans use mobile phones, and Afghan Wireless — in our role as the largest and most technologically advanced Afghan-owned and operated communications company — provides world-class 4G LTE, 3.75G+ and 3G Voice, Data, Internet and My Money Mobile Payment Services to more than 5 million subscribers spread across the 34 provinces of Afghanistan.

Since 2002, AWCC has invested more than $400,000,000 to build Afghanistan’s largest, fastest and most reliable mobile communications network. And the company’s roaming partnerships with 425 carrier networks in 125 countries means that our clients can use their Afghan Wireless phones almost anywhere in the world.

4G LTE services

AWCC is the first and only mobile communications company providing 4G LTE services to the people of Afghanistan. Its 4G LTE network became operational in May 2017, and the strong, immediate demand for 4G LTE Connectivity has led AWCC to double the capacity of its 4G LTE network within four months of its launch.

In May 2017, Ministry of Finance named Afghan Wireless as Afghanistan’s Best Large Taxpayer — the only telecommunications company ever to receive this honour.

The company’s CEO has received International Finance magazine’s award for Afghanistan’s Best Media and

Telecom CEO.

Afghanistan’s wireless communications sector forms the strongest and most profitable component of the country’s economy. The sector contributes the largest percentage of all tax revenue.

From its initial days as Afghanistan’s first mobile communications company, the mission of Afghan Wireless and the Bayat Group has expanded greatly — as has the measure of responsibility they have gladly undertaken — to ensure that The Bayat Group’s business operations provide Afghanistan with the products and services, large-scale job creation and economic development, which empowers and enables Afghans to live better lives.

Today, the Bayat Group is Afghanistan’s largest private company and the country’s biggest private employer. The five companies which comprise The Bayat Group are leading the effort to responsibly and sustainably develop Afghanistan’s Information, Communications, Technology and Energy sectors:

• Afghan Wireless: Afghan Wireless (AWCC), the founder of Afghanistan’s wireless communications sector, provides more than 5,000,000 subscribers with 4G LTE, 3.75G+, 3G, 2.5G, HD Voice, Data, Internet and Mobile Payment Services.
• Bayat Energy: The largest Afghan-owned Energy Development Company. Bayat Energy is the owner/builder of Bayat-1, a three-phase 200 MW gas to power generation project, located in Sheberghan, northern Afghanistan. Upon completion, Bayat-1 will be Afghanistan’s first new gas-fired power generation plant in more than three decades.
• Ariana Television and Radio: Launched in 2005, Ariana Television and Radio (ATN) and Ariana 93.5 FM are one of the largest private media channels in Afghanistan, covering 33 of 34 provinces and reaching over 20 million Afghans.

 Ariana Network Services (ANS): ANS provides High-Speed Internet Services, including WiMAX, Super WiFi and High-Speed broadband capacity, to Afghan consumers and companies.

An enduring spirit of teamwork and partnership demonstrated by the Bayat Group’s employees has been essential to the company’s success. The company was founded by Afghans, is led by Afghans and is dedicated to serving Afghans. Ninety-nine percent of the workforce comprises Afghan citizens. Together, these hard-working men and women make certain that every aspect of business operations is designed not only to increase market share and revenue, but most importantly, make a positive and long-term contribution towards building a prosperous and secure Afghanistan.

Nurturing entrepreneurs

In October 2017, the Bayat Group, working in partnership with a team of international organisations, launched ‘Bright Future Afghanistan’. Bright Future is a five-year program focused on helping young Afghan entrepreneurs identify business opportunities, and establish and grow their business ventures. These entrepreneurs represent the future of Afghanistan’s economic development. The Bright Future program will provide each entrepreneur with the training, startup capital and business development networks which will create jobs and sustainable, Afghan-based economic development for years to come.

The Bayat Foundation

The Bayat Foundation (www. bayatfoundation.org) is Afghanistan’s largest, private charitable foundation. It was co-founded by Mrs. Fatema Bayat and Dr. Ehsanollah Bayat in 2005. The foundation has sponsored over 300 health, education and social development projects. Its programs include emergency food distribution, the construction of wells, educational and healthcare facilities, including 13 maternity hospitals which have provided healthcare to over 2,000,000 mothers and children. The Foundation also sponsors programs and events promoting entrepreneurship, social justice, strong family values and cultural preservation.

Recognition by International Finance magazine as Afghanistan’s Best Media and Telecom CEO is a welcome recognition of the progress that the Bayat Group has made as a company, but much more importantly, this award acknowledges Afghanistan’s progress as a nation.

The team of Bayat Group is grateful for — and proud of — the opportunity they have been given to serve Afghans. The team will continue to develop services which not only connect the country to the world, but seek to empower, encourage and champion Afghanistan’s technological development, economic and social progress. The team looks forward to serving the people of Afghanistan for many, many years to come.

Dr Ehsanollah Bayat is Founder and Chairman of The Bayat Group

The post The call that ushered prosperity in Afghanistan appeared first on International Finance.

The 2017-2021 strategy is expected to provide $887 million in grants to Afghanistan, a founding member of ADB, through 2020. Sovereign operations will focus on energy, transport, and agriculture and natural resources. To date, ADB has provided over $4.9 billion in grants and loans to the country.

“ADB is one of Afghanistan’s leading partners in infrastructure and regional cooperation and brings in-depth experience delivering projects in fragile and conflict situations,” said Samuel Tumiwa, ADB Country Director for Afghanistan. “Our new CPS brings a holistic approach combining infrastructure investments with capacity building for the government to ensure ADB projects make an impact in reducing poverty and encouraging growth.”

Despite marked improvements since 2002, Afghanistan still faces a severe infrastructure deficit that negatively affects the country’s economic growth and job creation. Only about 32% of the population has access to grid-connected electricity and more than 70% of the interprovincial and interdistrict roads remain in a poor state. Only 10% of irrigated land has formal irrigation systems, with the rest relying on inefficient informal systems that hold back productivity, higher incomes, and job opportunities. The country’s security situation has hampered economic growth, averaging 1.4% during 2014-2016. With the poverty rate close to 40%, there is still a need to improve the country’s infrastructure, climate resilience, and gender equality.

Under the new CPS, ADB will align its work closely with Afghanistan’s foremost development priorities, including the National Peace and Development Framework, the self-reliance and reform agendas, and National Priority Programs. ADB operations in Afghanistan will focus on three strategic pillars: expanding access for women and men to economic opportunities, markets, and services; building stronger institutions and human resources through better governance and skills development; and increasing the country’s environmental sustainability as well as resilience to climate change and disasters.

ADB will continue to develop Afghanistan’s potential as a cross-regional transit point for both transport and energy initiatives, with emphasis on the Central Asia Regional Economic Cooperation (CAREC) corridors and regional energy initiatives. Additionally, trade facilitation initiatives under CAREC will increase regional trade and create greater opportunities for local businesses. In 2016, ADB approved a grant to prepare the Salang Corridor rehabilitation project to improve the efficiency and safety of movement of goods and people in Afghanistan and across Central Asia.

In the energy sector, ADB has helped deliver electricity to more than 5 million people in Afghanistan who used to receive only 4 hours of power in Kabul, while other cities were even worse off in the 2000s. ADB will support the increase in the country’s electrification rate, play a major role in power transmission both regionally and domestically, and promote clean energy, including through solar power.

To improve transport and connectivity, ADB will continue the development of the road network including CAREC regional corridors to help improve regional trade and local growth. Support for operation and maintenance will ensure the road network provides sustainable benefits. ADB’s key support to the transport sector includes the establishment of the first railway line between Uzbekistan and Afghanistan, which carries around 3 million tons of freight per year between the two countries. A comprehensive Transport Sector Master Plan Update will be developed to cover roads, railways, civil aviation, urban transport, trade logistics, and other related operations in the next 20 years. Four regional airports in Afghanistan, with passenger volumes now more than double the pre-upgrade levels, will also be upgraded.

Another key to poverty reduction is development of agriculture and water resources. ADB’s focus will be on provision of irrigation and watershed management, and on the development of agriculture market infrastructure and business through value chains. ADB will also support infrastructure that delivers safe water through improved water storage and delivery systems. These activities will mitigate the effects of droughts and floods, reduce soil erosion, and help restore forest areas.

Through ADB’s support, more than 160,000 hectares of irrigated land have been rehabilitated and upgraded, with work continuing for an additional 260,000 hectares. The investments have resulted in improved rural livelihoods, economic growth, and better water resources management. As part of its commitment to using high-level technology in its operations, ADB will help climate-proof these projects, for example by flood-proofing roads and designing irrigation systems that are resilient to floods or droughts.

Over the coming years, ADB will strengthen its engagement with the private sector and improve the business environment for economic growth and job creation. ADB will promote public-private partnerships, which can be leveraged to support more investment and better operations and maintenance of critical infrastructure.

The post New ADB strategy to support inclusive, sustainable growth in Afghanistan appeared first on International Finance.

The World Food Programme (WFP) welcomes a US$24 million contribution from the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to support food assistance to highly vulnerable Afghans affected by conflict, displacement, natural disasters, and seasonal hunger.

“Millions of women and children in Afghanistan are food insecure, undernourished or in need of food assistance. WFP’s job is to make sure that we get them the help they need – either in the form of cash or locally-bought food,” said WFP representative in Afghanistan Mick Lorentzen. “Thanks to the generous and continued support of the Government of the United States, we will be able to improve people’s food security, boost the local economy, and support people’s livelihoods.”

The contribution will allow WFP to provide assistance to more than 1.67 million Afghans, particularly women and children with cash-based transfer and locally procured food.

“This contribution will reduce hunger and malnutrition among vulnerable and low-income households affected by conflict and natural disasters.  In addition to meeting immediate food needs, this contribution allows WFP to work with communities to sow the seeds for community recovery with interventions that empower vulnerable Afghan families rebuild livelihoods and prepare for future shocks,” said Herbert Smith, USAID Mission Director.

In 2017, thanks to the support of donors like the United States, WFP plans to assist up to 2.9 million food insecure people in Afghanistan by providing food or cash to those affected by conflict and natural disasters, as well as additional nutrition support, disaster risk reduction activities and school meal take-home rations for girls and boys in food insecure areas. In addition, WFP is providing food and cash assistance to more than 550,000 internally displaced people, refugees and returnees.

Around 40 percent of children under the age of five are affected by stunting, while 9 percent of women are undernourished. WFP has been working with millers to fortify wheat flour in Afghanistan since 2006.

USAID is WFP’s top donor in Afghanistan, providing almost 50 percent of WFP’s resources over the past five years.

The post US contribution to boost WFP Food Assistance and local economy in Afghanistan appeared first on International Finance.

IFM Correspondent

November 28, 2016: Dr Mohammad Salem Omaid is the President and CEO of Azizi Bank. Prior to this, he has been the Deputy CEO of the bank for more than five years. Dr Omaid has been a great influencer and motivator in structuring the bank and guiding the bank to its present status. A strong leader and a person with pioneering visionary skills, he has been widely responsible for developing local human resources apart from being associated with maintaining international business relations with key corporates and stake-holders.

What is the banking scenario in Afghanistan? What is the percentage of banked population?

The banking sector in Afghanistan has seen a great improvement post the Taliban regime. Overall, there are 15 banks in the country. Of these, there are 11 Afghanistan-based banks of which three are owned by the government. There are four international banks. All the banks are strongly monitored by the regulations of the central bank of the country – Da Afghanistan Bank (DAB). The central bank’s mission is to foster price stability and build a robust financial system. Apart from the banks, there are several micro finance companies which started operations in the past 3-5 years. In addition to that, we have the offices of the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank.

As per the latest figures from the central bank, approximately 13% of the population is using the banking facility, which offers banks an opportunity to experience phenomenal growth.

Our bank is developing technology based products such as deposit, withdrawal and remittance of money through a mobile banking platform. This feature is expected to have a huge outreach and increase the banking population.

How has banking evolved in Afghanistan over the years?

Afghanistan’s economic growth got affected owing to various factors. Domestic demand remained weak, with no signs of a pick-up in private consumption and investment. The number of new firm registrations – as a proxy for business activities – indicated only a small increase in new investment activities in 2015, though it remained significantly below the levels of 2012 and 2013.

However, the economy is likely to remain stable in the next 2-3 years. There have been substantial investments through world bodies in areas of road construction and electrical transmission lines. The economic recession apart, substantial quantum of investments have been planned in road infrastructure, power sector, power transmission lines, power generation, electricity generation, agriculture sector, oil and gas sector, IT sector etc., which are estimated to be to the tune of $1 billion. The World Bank and ADB has come up with stable plans for the country and with the change in the political structure in the United States, we are expecting a favourable condition of sustained growth.

Though the GDP numbers prima facie appears to be challenging, banks are determined to convert the challenges into opportunities through their reach to a large section of the population, which shall be facilitated by extensive use of technology.

How will change in the regime in the US benefit Afghanistan? What does the banking industry expect from the US?

WE expect the US to increase its participation in the economic development of the country through aid and credit participation. This would add to increased economic and banking activities. The increased US activity in the country may bring in more political stability as there would be more gainful employment. The participation of US would improve customer confidence and a resurgence of economic participation from several investors stationed abroad. This would help the banking sector in having greater outreach and greater service to the nation as well as the local population to develop more skills.

The world is moving towards digital banking? Is this trend picking up in Afghanistan?

Yes, the banks are already getting inclined towards digitisation. Azizi Bank has invested heavily on technology oriented products. We want to be perceived as a tech-savvy bank. Core banking solution has already been implemented. From ATMs to mobile banking and net banking, Azizi Bank’s prima facie task is to ensure customer effectiveness with modern day banking technologies.

As part of the strategic digitalised expansion plan, the bank has decided to procure 200 new ATMs/Cash Dispensers/Video Kiosks/ Virtual Kiosks and has already strategised extensive coverage throughout the country.

What changes have you seen in Azizi bank which happens to be one of the top banks of the country?

Azizi Bank is proclaimed as the largest banking group in the country with more than 140 branches across all provinces. It contributes to more than 40% of the commercial lending portfolio and has a customer base of close to a million. The bank’s capital adequacy ratio (CAR) is more than 21% against the regulated norm of 12%, which itself is indicative of its inherent strength.

We have initiated several measures aimed at vigorous marketing efforts, especially branding of the bank, co-branding with other organisations, tie-ups, technology innovations with an eye to catering to emerging needs of the clientele and partners.  We are also expanding to other areas like selling insurance products, acting as an agent for bill collections to several service providers.

The bank has already received many international awards and recognitions this year as part of its endeavour to develop the best quality Afghanistan bank with world class services.

Under its Vision 2020 initiative, we expect to witness a significant growth in all sectors thereby maintaining our position as clear market leaders and catering to the customer requirements and expectations. The bank very soon will open its first overseas representative offices in Dubai and India by 2017, being the first from the country, apart from exploring other neighbouring countries by 2018.

From where do you recruit talent? Apart from banking, which are the other sectors witnessing growth?

Azizi Bank puts a lot of emphasis on campus recruitment from leading colleges and universities thus giving the young generation the opportunity to start their career with a strong foundation. The average age bracket of employees is 27 years.  Azizi Bank also promotes diversity. Around 15% of our employees are women.

Apart from banking, there are job opportunities in international NGOs working in the country who believe in taking the energetic and talented youth of the country. There are other major corporates, mobile operators who have opened employment opportunities for the youth.

The post ‘Banks in Afghanistan want to convert difficulties into opportunities’ appeared first on International Finance.

April 13, 2016: The shareholders of the TAPI Pipeline Company Limited (TPCL) signed an Investment Agreement in a ceremony witnessed by petroleum ministers and senior government officials of Turkmenistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan and India, and senior Asian Development Bank (ADB) officials. It will pave the way for long-term natural gas supplies that will give a major boost to the signatory countries’ economies and energy security.

The Investment Agreement provides an initial budget of over $200 million to fund the next phase of the development of the Turkmenistan-Afghanistan-Pakistan-India (TAPI) natural gas pipeline. This includes funding for detailed engineering and route surveys, environmental and social safeguard studies, and procurement and financing activities, to enable a final investment decision, after which construction can begin. Construction is estimated to take up to three years.

“The financial support committed by the shareholders of TAPI under this investment agreement is a true testament of their intention to get this historic project off the ground and running,” said Yagshygeldi Kakayev, Deputy Chairman of the Cabinet of Ministers of Turkmenistan. “Turkmenistan’s vision is strongly aligned with that of its TAPI neighbours to make this project a reality and to deliver a truly regional project that will address energy demands and support economic prosperity and security in the region.”

TPCL will build, own, and operate the TAPI pipeline, which, once completed is expected to transport up to 33 billion cubic meters of natural gas annually from Turkmenistan to Afghanistan, Pakistan and India over 30 years. The pipeline stretches about 1,600 kilometers from the Afghan/Turkmen border to the Pakistan/Indian border.

“TAPI exemplifies ADB’s key role in promoting regional cooperation and integration over the past 20 years,” said Sean O’Sullivan, ADB’s Director General for the Central and West Asia Department.  “TAPI will unlock economic opportunities, transform infrastructure, diversify the energy market for Turkmenistan, and enhance energy security for the region.”

Acting as TAPI secretariat since 2003 and as transaction advisor since 2013, ADB has been instrumental in the progress of the TAPI pipeline to date. In the latter role, ADB helped establish TPCL, select Turkmengaz as consortium leader, and finalize the Shareholders and Investment Agreements.

ADB, headquartered in Manila, is dedicated to reducing poverty in Asia and the Pacific through inclusive economic growth, environmentally sustainable growth, and regional integration. Established in 1966, it is owned by 67 members – 48 from the region.

– See more at: http://www.internationalfinancemagazine.com/article/Investment-agreement-signed-for-TAPI-pipeline.html#sthash.9Ou4dALa.dpuf

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