Flags of the U.S. and Afghanistan
USAID/Afghanistan: From the American People

Economic Growth

Objective: Reducing poverty by promoting economic growth

Program Photo Gallery

baby chicks

Photo: USAID/ADP-E/DAI

23,000 chicks hatched in December, laying the foundation for a poultry industry revival in eastern Afghanistan.

Packing pomegranates in Kandahar

Photo: USAID

Packing pomegranates in Kandahar

man sitting in field cutting wood

Photo: USAID/Afghanistan

An Afghan farmer works in the olive fields of Nangarhar.

Photo of women with rug

Photo: USAID/Afghanistan

Widows in Adraskan, Herat voted to form an association to produce and market traditional wool carpets in a USAID funded project.

Photo of women displaying their silk products

Photo: Kim Kim Yee: USAID/Afghanistan

Members of the silkworm production display their silk-embroidered products.

Photo of woman working in factory

Photo: Jeremy Foster RAMP/Afghanistan

Noria Sedequi supervises 25 women working in the Vegetable Dehydrates Factory.

Photo of women making bread

Photo: Photo: Alejandro Chicheri

Afghan women prepare flatbreads at a bakery.

photo of man standing next to taxi

Photo: USAID/Jennifer Lindsey

"Thank you to everybody who helped to build our road. It is very good. What used to take one hour to drive, now takes only 10 minutes. Before, it was so bumpy and dusty. And we used to travel at 30 km/hour, at most. Now we can go up to 110 km. /hour. This is very good for my business.” - Noor Rahman, Taxi Driver, Wardak Province

photo of man at loom

Photo: Matt Herrick

You see my own equipment, except the new loom, is over 30 years old. If I weave a patu for the market, I will do it all in one day. But if I make a patu for the village, for a wedding or celebration, then two days. It is a beautiful gift for the wedding. They know what I do here, because I always weave the patu. Ask if I am good? -Aliachmad, 70- years-old, works behind his patu loom in the hills of the Shamali Plains.

Carpet trade show in Germany

Photo: USAID/ASMED/DAI

Domotex carpet trade show, Hanover, Germany.

religious leaders give approval

Photo: USAID/ASMED

Religious leaders sign letters confirming that financial services are legitimate and Sharia compliant.

photo of carpets displayed at trade show

Photo: USAID

Afghan carpets displayed at trade show in Las Vegas

Afghan carpets on display in Germany

Photo: USAID/ASMED/DAI

Afghan traders generated more than $5.2 million in export deals at the Domotex Carpet Trade show recently held in Germany.

A customer with his title deed.

Photo: USAID/LTERA/Emerging Markets Group

A customer with a copy of his digitized title deed.

The Surat Zadah Flour Mill

Photo: USAID/ARIES/AED

The Surat Zadah Flour Mill in Balkh province will generate 160 employment opportunities due to a $500,000 loan from the USAID-assisted Afghanistan Rural Finance Center

Border Facility in December, 2007

Photo: USAID/Bearing Point

Border Facility in December, 2007

Border facility in December 2005

Photo: USAID/Bearing Point

Border facility in December 2005

Training at the Kunar Directorate of Agriculture

Photo: USAID/ADP-E/DAI

Training at the Kunar Directorate of Agriculture for new text message system distribution market price information.

photo of religious leaders signing confirmation letters

Photo: USAID

Religious leaders sign letters confirming that financial services are legitimate and Sharia compliant.

food for Kabul

Photo: USAID

The UN World Food Programme helps Kabul residents.

work on an industrial park

Photo: USAID/Afghanistan

Work commences on an industrial park.

Afghan entrepreneurs open new shops with the help of FINCA loans.

Photo: USAID/Afghanistan

Afghan entrepreneurs open new shops with the help of FINCA loans.

graudates of the Afghan Vocational Training Institute

Photo: USAID/Afghanistan

Dr. Jatinder Cheema congratulates a graduate of the Afghan Vocational Training Institute on May 15, 2008.

A construction worker at the Sabawoon Feed Mill

Photo: USAID/Afghanistan

A construction worker at the Sabawoon Feed Mill.

Fourteen community leaders in Uruzgan province.

Photo: USAID/Afghanistan

Fourteen community leaders discussed their role in the development of Uruzgan province.

Takhar Women

Photo: USAID/Afghanistan

The Takhan Women’s Handicrafts Skills Association displaying their products.

Grand Opening Ceremony in Kunar

Photo: USAID/Afghanistan

Officials at the Grand Opening Ceremony for the Kunar Islamic Investment and Finance Cooperative (IIFC).

Ribbon cutting ceremony at AUAF

Photo: AUAF/Afghanistan

Ribbon cutting ceremony at The American University of Afghanistan's Bernice Nachman Marlowe Library.

International Carpet Fair

Photo: USAID/Afghanistan

Women's associations displayed their products at the International Carpet Fair.

Workers producing salt.

Photo: USAID/Afghanistan

Workers producing salt at the Omid Kabul Company. The new loan will create new jobs and expand their services across thecountry.

students at GIS training

Photo: USAID/Afghanistan

Students learned new mapping and information management skills.

carpet weaving in Baghlan province

Photo: USAID/Afghanistan

A carpet in process as part of a carpet weaving and business skills training in Baghlan province.

registrat at the commercial courts

Photo: USAID/Afghanistan

the Afghan Central Business Registry

Photo: USAID/Afghanistan

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Economic Growth

USAID/Afghanistan’s Economic Growth program promotes a thriving, licit economy led by the private sector.

FY02-FY06 EG Spending: $253 M
FY07 EG Budget: $68 M

(incl. supplemental request)

Related Links

Land Titling and Economic Restructuring

Accomplishments

Afghanistan International Chamber of Commerce (AICC)

  • Regional branches established in Kandahar, Mazar-i-Sharif, Herat, Jalalabad and Uruzghan. Plans for Kunduz, Bamiyan, and Khost
  • Currently over 2,500 paid members

Afghan Women’s Business Federation

  • Consolidated over 50 women-run business associations as of August 2007
  • Provided training and business development services

Small & Medium Enterprise Development

  • Began late 2006; provides $36.6 million
  • Offices in Kabul, Herat and Nangarhar. Partner offices in Helmand and Badakhshan

Industrial Parks Development

  • Kabul IP completed; Mazar and Kandahar near completion 
  • More than 600 Afghans employed by this project in the park sites; more then 10,000 men and women will be employed at three sites

Land Titling

  • Over 6 million existing legal documents reorganized in more than 20 regional court registries (Makhzans) 
  • Immovable property registration reduced from more than 30 steps to 3 for buildings and 4 for land
  • Pilot adjudication of land disputes lays foundation for training commercial courts
  • 15 SOEs in process of being liquidated

Central Bank reforms

  • Established over 15 new private banks

Last updated January 5, 2009

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