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| Afghanistan/South Asia |
| Report: Afghan Economy Is Rockin' and Rollin' at Fiver Percent Per Annum |
| 2004-10-09 |
| Selectively edited for length -- severely. More than 10 million Afghans have the opportunity to cast ballots for president today, in the first direct election for head of state in the nation's 5,000-year history. Three years ago, few predicted that Afghans could reach this historic milestone. Yet with the world's assistance, they have seized the moment and are now poised to take another major stride toward joining the ranks of the world's democratic nations. After the fall of the Taliban, Afghanistan faced enormous challenges: the lack of a legitimate political system, the existence of warlords with private militias, the absence of effective national institutions--and desperate poverty. Though none of these problems have been fully overcome, significant progress is now being made against all. At the same time, Afghanistan's national institutions are taking shape. The Afghan National Army now numbers more than 15,000 troops, with deployments underway and regional commands being established in every region. Progress is accelerating toward the goal of a 70,000-troop force. Average Afghans often say, "Where the ANA goes, stability follows." More than 28,000 members of the national police have undergone initial training and equipping. The Afghan government has launched a program to rebuild its administrative capacity in the more than 350 district centers. Year-on-year progress in state building has been significant. Though much remains to be done, momentum is clearly gathering. Economically, Afghanistan has experienced a peace dividend of growth rates in the legal economy exceeding 15% for three years. Inflation is low, and the new currency is maintaining a stable exchange rate. Several banks have started doing business in Kabul and other cities. Agricultural production is increasing steadily. Thousands of new small businesses have opened. The rebuilding of the country's primary roads--led by the U.S.-Japanese-Saudi work on the Kabul-Kandahar-Herat highway--is well under way. The ring road and the links to regional networks, all of which are scheduled for completion in the next three years, will recreate the Afghan land bridge between Central Asia, South Asia and Southwest Asia, and re-establish a historic market that now accounts for more than $4 trillion. The best market test to understand how Afghans view the future is the fact that 3.3 million refugees have returned from Pakistan and Iran since 2002--the largest voluntary repatriation in history. These refugees would not return unless they believed the quality of life for their families is better in Afghanistan. It's like Dubya sez. Ain't nothing defeats terrorist assholes like freedom. And that GDP growth rate is just stunning |
| Posted by:badanov |
| #5 One of the problems in Afganistan is the high economic bleding due to the damned pilgrimage. On the year after the fall of the Taliban it spent a sum equivalent to 10% of the Foreign Aid it received for lining |
| Posted by: JFM 2004-10-09 3:10:53 PM |
| #4 Freedom! Freedom! Freedom! |
| Posted by: Aretha 2004-10-09 3:04:19 PM |
| #3 Pent up demand for freedom. |
| Posted by: John (Q. Citizen) 2004-10-09 2:03:42 PM |
| #2 It's a lot higher than that. According to the CIA World Factbook: GDP - real growth rate: 29% (2003 est.) : note: this high growth rate reflects the extremely low levels of activity between 1999 and 2002, as well as the end of a four-year drought and the impact of donor assistance GDP - per capita: purchasing power parity - $700 (2003 est.) |
| Posted by: ed 2004-10-09 11:54:07 AM |
| #1 Bad I think they it's 15 percent a year. 5 percent a year from the stone age would be pretty poor. |
| Posted by: Shipman 2004-10-09 11:33:54 AM |