January 17, 2025
Afghanistan’s Taliban-led government has set up a consortium of companies, including some in Iran, Russia and Pakistan, to create investment in Afghan projects focused on power, mining and infrastructure. The consortium includes 14 Afghan businesses.
The Commerce Ministry signed a memorandum of understanding with the unnamed foreign companies. Afghanistan’s economy has been severely hampered since the Taliban took over in 2021, sparking the international community to cut most development funding and enforce sanctions on the banking sector.
As well as mining and power projects, the consortium was eyeing the possibility of building a second tunnel through the Salang pass that connects Afghanistan’s north to the capital and a project to divert water from northern Panjshir province to the capital as well as re-building the main highway connecting Kabul to western Herat province, on the Iranian border.
The minister said the Taliban were planning to build special economic zones to attract foreign investment, which would be located on former American bases.
