Economic Potential and Oportunities in Afghanistan - Vienna, Austria

Economic Potential and Oportunities in Afghanistan Vienna, Austria, June 25, 2019 By Peter Haider alternative livelihoods, remittances and Taliban regime. The nation’s GDP how to make a living with small stands at about $70 billion with an businesses. exchange rate of $20 billion (2017),

O n 25th of June 2019 the and the GDP per capita is about Austria-Afghanistan Society in After words of welcome by Mr. Peter Haider, President of UPF-Austria, Dr. $2,000. It imports over $6 billion cooperation with UPF Austria worth of goods but exports nearly $1 and the Vienna Institute for Friedrich Schwank, president of the Austria-Afghanistan Society gave an billion only, mainly fruits and nuts. International Dialogue and Despite holding over $1 trillion in Cooperation organized a roundtable introduction to the topic. The panel included Mr. Razik Azad, who spoke proven untapped mineral deposits, discussion on the topic „Economic Afghanistan remains one of the least Potentials and Opportunities in about “The socio-economic Situation in Afghanistan”, Mr. Baktash Jami, developed countries on the planet. Afghanistan“, which was attended by About 25% of its population is 70 guests. who passionately introduced to the audience “Economic Potentials and unemployed and lives below the In times of protracted crises, armed Opportunities in Afghanistan” and Ms. poverty line. Many of the unemployed conflicts, deteriorating security and Petra Oberberger, who presented her men join the foreign-funded militant peace talks in Afghanistan, this panel research about “The Relevance of groups or the world of crime, discussion focused on an Remittances for Afghans”. particularly as smugglers. The Afghan underestimated, but very important government has long been pleading for topic: The economy crisis in The economy of Afghanistan has had foreign investment in order to improve Afghanistan that has severe significant improvement in the last Afghanistan’s economy. implications for the population and is decade due to the infusion of billions of dollars in international assistance Dr. Markus Gauster, a board member directly related to human security. In of the Austria-Afghanistan Society and this context, the panelists did not only and remittances from Afghan expatriates. The assistance that came the main organizer of the event, focuse on the big economic picture, but moderated the discussion and spoke in particular on potentials and from expatriates and outside investors saw this increase when there was more about projects his society is organizing opportunities for the population, and planning in Afghanistan. exploring bottom-up approaches, political reliability after the fall of the