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Islamic Republic of Afghanistan - Enhanced Integrated Framework ...

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<strong>Afghanistan</strong> National Development Strategy (ANDS)Most farmers are engaged in subsistence or near-subsistence agriculture, and many farming families remainfood insecure and therefore face risky livelihoods <strong>of</strong>ten combined with chronic debt. As a result, the country’svulnerability to natural disasters and food shortages has increased. The Agriculture and Rural DevelopmentStrategy sets out a series <strong>of</strong> programs designed to achieve improved quality <strong>of</strong> life for rural citizens – one inwhich food security is assured, basic services are provided, incomes increase with households actively engagedin legal activities, employment opportunities expand and where people live in a safe and secure environment.Activities are usefully grouped into two main components: a Comprehensive Agriculture and RuralDevelopment and the Agricultural and Rural Development Zone (ARDZ) initiatives.The fifteen programs that will provide the vehicles for reaching the objectives <strong>of</strong> the CARD strategy are asfollows: National Solidarity Program, National Food Security Program, National Area Based DevelopmentProgram, CARD horticulture program, CARD livestock program, National Rural Access Program , RuralWater Supply and Sanitation Program, CARD Irrigation Program, CARD National Resource program, NationalSurveillance System, Rural Electrification program, rural Enterprise program, research and Extension System,the Card Emergency Response System, and the CARD Capacity Building program.TransportationThe ANDS strategic goal for the transport sector strategy is to achieve a safe, integrated transportation networkthat ensures connectivity and that enables low-cost and reliable movement <strong>of</strong> people and goods within<strong>Afghanistan</strong> as well as to and from foreign destinations. With the upcoming completion <strong>of</strong> the RegionalHighway System, high priority will be given to improving 5,334km <strong>of</strong> secondary (national and provincial) roadsand improving or building 6,290km <strong>of</strong> rural access roads as a key to raising rural livelihoods and reducingpoverty and vulnerability in rural areas. Municipal transportation management will be strengthened to improveurban road quality, road network maintenance, road network planning, and transportation facilities and services.The Government will implement a comprehensive Operations and Maintenance (O&M) system, ensuringsustainability <strong>of</strong> O&M costs.In addition, other major transportation priority initiatives to be undertaken include: (i) the New Kabul Airport;(ii) the Rehabilitation <strong>of</strong> Kandahar, Mazar-i-Sharif and Herat Airports; (iii) the building <strong>of</strong> new regionalairports; (iv) the development <strong>of</strong> the railroad project; and (v) the entering into <strong>of</strong> new Transit Agreements withneighboring countries: these agreements will help to reduce the transit time for moving goods across borders.By end-2010, <strong>Afghanistan</strong> and its neighbors will also achieve lower transit times by means <strong>of</strong> more cooperativeborder management. Programs are now underway to ensure that <strong>Afghanistan</strong>’s international airport, its otherprincipal airports and the civil aviation authorities conform to the requirements <strong>of</strong> the ICAO and IATA,including establishing a new Civil Aviation Authority to promote air transport in a competitive environment.MiningThe extraction <strong>of</strong> natural resources is expected to make a major contribution to GDP and export growth, as wellas to the government revenues. The ANDS strategic objectives for the mining sector are (i) to attract increasedprivate investment; (ii) to promote and regulate sustainable development <strong>of</strong> mineral resources; and (iii) to ensurethat the nation’s geological resources are properly surveyed and documented. This will be done through theestablishment <strong>of</strong> a legal and regulatory environment that will encourage and assist private sector development <strong>of</strong>mining resources. A notable early success in the mining sector is the recently signed agreement for the largestforeign direct investment in the country to date—the leasing <strong>of</strong> the Aynak copper mine, for an estimated $2.8billion investment.As key priorities in the mining sector, the Government will: (i) work to maximize the fiscal returns andeconomic linkages <strong>of</strong> natural resource extraction; (ii) establish a transparent and capable management systemfor the sector; (iii) provide a supportive environment for investment in the sector by finalizing and implementingvarious laws and regulations; and (iv) determine the extent <strong>of</strong> mineral resources in the country, with theobjective <strong>of</strong> developing a long-term sustainable and environmentally-sound strategy. Success in attractinginvestment in mining operations will give investors confidence in the country’s legal and regulatory system,opening the door to investments in other sectors.12

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