Amid withdrawal plan of NATO troops from Afghanistan, there are concerns not only over the post-2014 security condition of Afghanistan but also it is feared that its economy will reverse. It is expected that with diminishing military and non-military role of the Western countries, fund for development and reconstruction of Afghanistan will also dry up.

According to economic experts Afghanistan will need foreign economic aid at least until 2025. But that is just estimation. Keeping in view the current economic standing of Afghanistan, one can easily say that Afghanistan – in order to stand on its own feet – would need a long term financial and technical support. Currently around 40 percent of operational budget and more than 85 percent of development budget of Afghanistan are funded through external sources.

If the international aid poured in Afghanistan in eleven years had been properly utilized, the condition would have been much better today. Afghanistan stands among the most corrupt countries of the world and over the time this problem has become more severe causing all financial assistance go futile.

For an economy to nurture, investment plays the role of a backbone. As we can see, both domestic and foreign investments are negligible in Afghanistan due to high business risks. These risks are given birth by lingering insecurity and political and social instability.

Afghanistan is a country where every sector requires investment – mining, construction, energy, telecommunication, agriculture, transport, education are only a few. But again insecurity is the biggest problem which has made Afghanistan a hard place for doing business.

Businessmen face serious obstacles. If on the one hand, they somehow, overcome the strict policies of government, on the other they have to keep themselves and their businesses safe from terrorists, kidnappers and other criminals.

Afghans should not only be gifted fish but also they must be taught how to catch fish. Although the government has failed to address the hindrances in the economic sector, it is never late to start planning and acting seriously. Afghanistan has vast deposits of natural resources. For centuries, these resources have remained underutilized. Afghanistan with trillions of dollars worth mineral resources beneath its earth is one of the poorest countries of the world. Time has come to properly utilizes Afghanistan’s own deposits for its development and reconstruction. This is the only way economic prosperity can be achieved in Afghanistan.