The Deputy Prime Minister for Economic Affairs, Mullah Abdul Ghani Baradar Akhund, attended Da Afghanistan Bank's "National Conference on Microfinance: Opportunities and Challenges." The conference concentrated on encouraging investment and generating employment opportunities. Numerous esteemed cabinet members, representatives from the United Nations, the European Union, and the World Bank, ambassadors from various nations, officials from international and local institutions, as well as national investors and entrepreneurs, were also in attendance.
In his address, the Deputy Prime Minister stated that the principal beneficiaries of the microfinance sector are ordinary, impoverished individuals, farmers, and small business proprietors. He underscored that supporting these groups is a shared objective of both the Islamic Emirate and the international community.
He further asserted that the Islamic Emirate considers the reduction of poverty and unemployment within the nation a critical duty and priority. On this basis, Da Afghanistan Bank has instituted a regulatory framework for overseeing microfinance institutions with the aim of supporting small enterprises and fostering new employment opportunities—an initiative neglected over the past two decades. According to Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Baradar Akhund, the establishment of nationwide security and the promotion of transparency have now created a more favorable environment than ever before for assisting the population and providing employment opportunities through the microfinance sector.
In his remarks at the conference, Deputy Prime Minister Mullah Baradar Akhund emphasized that supporting microfinance and engaging collaboratively in this sector is of vital importance, given its direct impact on the lives of ordinary and impoverished people. Through this sector, support is extended to farmers, the general populace, and the impoverished, affording them employment opportunities that mitigate poverty, unemployment, and social issues. Consequently, this initiative contributes to economic growth and strengthens the national economy.
Concluding his address, the Deputy Prime Minister called upon the international community, donor organizations, and affluent Afghans to align themselves with the Islamic Emirate in supporting microfinance. He also urged ordinary individuals, farmers, and small business owners to capitalize on the newly established regulatory measures by microfinance institutions to initiate and expand their businesses.
Notably, the regulation concerning microfinance institutions has streamlined conditions for obtaining financial support, thereby enabling impoverished individuals in remote regions to access financing. This process is set to be extended across all regions of the country.
