Islamic Republic of Afghanistan - Enhanced Integrated Framework ...

Afghanistan National Development Strategy (ANDS)PrioritiesPolicies for enabling a private sector-led market economyThree key Government priorities are: (i) to develop the legal framework for the private sector, including thepassage and enactment of key commercial laws (Corporations, Partnership, Commercial Arbitration,Commercial Mediation, Contracts, Agency, Standards, Copyrights, Trademarks, and Patents); (ii) to create aregulatory framework to support their implementation; and (iii) to improve enforcement of the legal andregulatory frameworks. The Government will also ensure that the laws appropriately reflect the Afghan societalcontext and are implemented fairly and consistently to provide greater predictability to investors.The Government will strengthen economic governance within the framework of the Policy for Private SectorGrowth and Development 1 , including: (i) clarifying institutional responsibilities and mechanisms for reformingthe business environment; (ii) strengthening the Ministry of Commerce and Industry, the AfghanistanInvestment Support Agency, and the legal system to effectively regulate and resolve disputes; and (iii)improving access to land, including measures to clarify property rights, to simplify procedures for the transfer oftitles, and to ensure the availability of longer-term leases. Major procedures for business operations(registration, licensing, permissions, border operations, custom clearance and payments) will continue to bestreamlined to reduce transaction costs.The Government attaches a high priority to the privatization and corporatization of key state-owned enterprises.This will include the corporatization and increasing the efficiency of the national electricity authority DaAfghanistan Brishna Mowasesa (DABM). The Ministry of Finance has prepared a list of all state-ownedenterprises that will be privatized or liquidated over the course of next three years. Fair access to markets fornew private sector competitors will be encouraged by all relevant government bodies.The Government is committed to pro-trade policies maintaining low trade barriers for imports and exports thattake into account domestic revenues and the need to support increased domestic production by the privatesector. It is important to strengthen certain competitive industries where Afghanistan possesses a comparativeadvantage. The Ministry of Finance will be responsible for setting the tariff regime, in consultation with relevantstakeholders. The Government’s top priority will be to improve trade and commercial relations with regionalcountries, taking advantage of Afghanistan’s strategic location in the region by adopting policies and proceduresthat facilitate and promote transit and trade. In the short-term, the Government will focus on ensuring thatcustom regulations are consistently applied and that the average time required for the import and export ofgoods continues to decline and eventually reaches the regional average. The Government remains committed togaining accession to the World Trade Organization.The financial system, including banking and microfinance, has been growing rapidly; however, financialintermediation remains low. Only a small segment of the population has access to formal financial services.Building a strong and responsive financial sector will remove one of the key bottlenecks to efforts within theprivate sector to increase productive capacity and enhance domestic production.The Government’s top priorities for the financial sector will be to strengthen the legal framework by passing andimplementing four pending financial sector laws (Secured Transactions, Mortgages, Leasing, and NegotiableInstruments) and to strengthen the enforcement of prudent regulations in the banking sector. The next prioritywill be to increase the offering of financial services in rural areas and to small and medium enterprises (SMEs).The Government will implement the restructuring and eventual privatization strategies of Bank Millie andPashtany Bank. Over the medium-term, the Government will seek to establish both a credit information bureauand a financial dispute resolution tribunal; it will further seek to implement an adequate insurance law toencourage the development of these key financial sector components.1 Presented by the Government at the Enabling Environment Conference, June 2007.10