South Asia analyst Michael Kugelman on Afghanistan economy

Global Business

Afghanistan again burst into the headlines last month when the Taliban extremist group attacked the country’s national security agency – killing more than 60 people and injuring another 300.

Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s rise to power in 2014 had cause for a little hope – but that hope is in the past now. Politics usually inform economics – and that’s painfully obvious in Afghanistan.

The World Bank says that in Afghanistan, persisting uncertainty around the security and political environment has hindered business activities and overall domestic demand. Growth is expected to only marginally increase from 1.9 percent in 2016 to 2.9 percent in 2017.

For more about the Afghanistan economy, CCTV America’s Rachelle Akuffo spoke to Michael Kugelman. He is the senior associate for South and Southeast Asia at the Woodrow Wilson Center.

Factsheet: Most South Asian Countries Show Potential to Accelerate Growth

Factsheet: Most South Asian Countries Show Potential to Accelerate Growth