West tightening economic noose around the Taliban

Mustafa Kamel

The economy is the biggest challenge facing the Taliban government that was formed in early September.

Western countries are worried about the movement, tightening the financial noose around it.

This threatens the livelihoods of the Afghan people, especially after warnings by the United Nations that a crisis is looming in the country.

Lawmakers in the US Congress have submitted two resolutions that aim to classify the Afghan movement as a ‘terrorist organization’.

The same resolutions call on the US State Department to put the movement under scrutiny and hold it accountable immediately if it commits any threat or terrorist acts in the future.

Choking

Although Afghanistan is rich in natural resources, it experienced about 40 years of political turmoil, initially under the Soviets and then under the American occupation.

During the two-decade US occupation of the country, the Afghan government covered the trade deficit of 30% of the GDP through the aid and grants provided by Western countries, NATO forces and the US.

The expenditure for security protection alone amounted to 28% of GDP, while aid covered 75% of government expenditure.

According to World Bank data, until the downfall of the Ashraf Ghani government, 44% of citizens in Afghanistan worked in agriculture.

Afghanistan’s annual exports did not exceed $800 million, while imports amounted to more than $8 billion, the World Bank says.

The Afghan economy is worth more than $22 billion.

According to Western analysts, it can be said that the Taliban movement inherited a backward economy that lacks the infrastructure that enables it to develop natural resources, the private sector and trade channels.

This economic reality gives the Taliban government limited economic options.

The government may resort to mortgaging Afghanistan’s natural resources at a cheap price to China in exchange for urgent funds needed to cover government expenditures.