An Afghan businesswomen showcase her products at a fair in Kabul.

USAID/Afghanistan

Our Work

USAID, in conjunction with the Government of Afghanistan, is actively supporting export-driven economic growth across a wide range of sectors. Empowering the private sector to comply with international export best practices to include product standards and quality will help open regional and international market opportunities. Improving scalability to meet product demand will allow Afghan exporters to enhance their competitiveness, market access, and brand recognition. Gaining both regional and domestic market share will generate new businesses and jobs. Sustainable economic growth in the long term is critical for Afghanistan to achieve political security, self-reliance, and overall economic stability. USAID aligned its FY 2019 to FY 2023 Country Development Cooperation Strategy with the Afghan Ministry of Industry and Commerce’s goal of increasing exports to $2 billion by 2023.

Major Highlights

• Afghanistan is showing strong progress with exports of $875 million in 2018.

Recent Highlights

• Following the successful launch of the first air corridor in June 2017, the Government of Afghanistan continued to open more air corridors with other countries to showcase additional Afghan exports to the world. As of December 2018, the Afghanistan's National Air Corridor Program facilitated the export of goods to India, Turkey, Saudi Arabia, European Union, Kazakhstan, and the United Arab Emirates.
• USAID sponsored the Passage to Prosperity (P2P) International Trade and Investment Shows. The first two P2P events took place in New Delhi and Mumbai in September 2017 and September 2018, respectively. At these events Indian and Afghan businesses negotiated almost $600 million in confirmed and pre-contract agreements.
• Working closely with the Government of Afghanistan, an export Customs One-Stop-Shop was launched at the Hamid Karzai International Airport in Kabul in January 2018.
• USAID is providing legal and policy advice to the Ministry of Mines and Petroleum and other government entities to create a regulatory environment that will attract foreign investment in Afghanistan’s mining sector.

Job Creation and Private Sector Competitiveness

USAID targets the rising unemployment problem through a multi-pronged approach that supports export value chain service providers, promotes new businesses, creates jobs, and encourages youth entrepreneurship.

Export Processing Zones and Export Facilitation

USAID, over the next five years, will focus on addressing the challenges of exporting by developing export processing zones and air cargo facilities; establishing Customs One-Stop Shops for exports and imports; expanding new flight routes for air cargo; implementing World Trade Organization airport-related post-accession requirements; and generating investment and jobs by providing firm-level assistance to export-oriented business.

Policy Reform and Strategic Management

USAID is providing technical assistance, in the form of launching U.S. government interagency partnerships that are focused on strengthening the enabling environment policies that support the private sector (e.g., commercial laws and policies to support mining and telecommunications).

Current Projects:

• Trade Show Support (TSS)
• Multi-Dimensional Economic Legal Reform Assistance Program (MELRA)
• Livelihood Advancement of Marginalized Populations (LAMP) Project
• Kabul Carpet Export Center (KCEC)
• Global Broadband and Innovation (GBI) Program
• Extractives Technical Assistance
• The Goldozi Project
• Afghan Growth Finance (AGF)
• Commercial Law Development Program
• Development Credit Authority
• Investment Climate Reform Program in Afghanistan
• USAID Promote’s Afghan Women in the Economy (WIE)

Completed Projects:

• Turquoise Mountain Smithsonian Exhibition
• Re-Branding Afghanistan Creating Jobs, Changing Perceptions, Empowering Women
• Multi-Input Area Development - Global Development Alliance (MIAD GDA)
• Electronic Government Resource Center Phase II (EGRC II)
• Assistance in Building Afghanistan by Developing Enterprises (ABADE)
• Afghanistan Workforce Development Program (AWDP)
• Afghanistan Trade and Revenue Project (ATAR)
• Afghanistan Public Financial Management (APFM)
• Financial Access for Investing in the Development of Afghanistan (FAIDA)
• Building Livelihoods and Trade by Turquoise Mountain Foundation (TMF)
• Strengthening Communities: Empowering People with Disabilities through Employment Project (SC-EPDE)
• Afghan New Beginning Program
• Afghanistan Credit Support Program (ACSP)
• Afghanistan National Innovation and Competitiveness Program
• Afghanistan Renewal Fund
• Afghanistan Small and Medium Enterprise Development (ASMED)
• Agriculture, Rural Investment, and Enterprise Strengthening (ARIES)
• Aid Management and Coordination and Public Information
• Air Traffic Controllers Training to the Ministry of Transportation and Civil Aviation (MoCAT) (Phase II)
• Arazi (Afghan Land Authority) via MAIL (Ministry of Agriculture, Irrigation and Livestock) On-Budget Component
• Better Than Cash
• Economic Governance & Private Sector Strengthening (EGPSS)
• Economic Governance in Afghanistan
• Economic Growth and Governance Initiative (EGGI)
• E-Governance Resource Center (EGRC)
• English and Computer Basic Training for Afghanistan Geology Survey (AGS)
• Establishment of National Payment System
• Industrial Estates Development
• Land Reform in Afghanistan (LARA)
• Land Titling and Economic Restructuring Activity (LTERA)
• Promoting Sustainable Private Sector Development
• Provision of Technical Advisor to the Ministry of Finance/Treasury
• Rural Finance and Cooperative Development (RUFCOD)
• Strengthening Private Sector through Capacity Building
• Trade Accession and Facilitation for Afghanistan (TAFA)
• Women Enterprise Development (WED)
• Women in Government Internship Program (WIG)