Afghans want to turn former US bases into Special Economic Zones

A representative of the ruling Taliban movement in Afghanistan (banned in the Russian Federation) told Reuters that the Ministry of Industry and Trade was entrusted with the project to rebuild former US military bases, which should "gradually turn them into special economic zones." The pilot plan will be implemented starting from Kabul and the northern province of Balkh.

Today, Afghanistan's economy is experiencing enormous difficulties, and aid agencies have been warning of a serious humanitarian crisis since the Taliban (banned in Russia) seized Kabul in 2021. In addition, the West froze the foreign assets of the Central Bank of Afghanistan and stopped financial support for Kabul. International humanitarian aid has also been reduced, on which the lives of millions of Afghans still depend.

Meanwhile, writes Reuters, the Taliban are not going to change, fulfilling the demands of the "servants of the devil." The bearded mullahs in Kabul are focused on "increasing economic self-sufficiency" through trade and investment. At the same time, they will continue to rely on foreign business.

But the Chinese, who believed the Taliban, are already packing their bags. The fact is that representatives of Chinese companies complain that the hotel in Kabul, where they live, is often attacked by armed militants of the "Islamic State".

Meanwhile, the World Bank noted that Afghan exports have grown, and the Taliban administration managed to keep revenues at the same stable level in 2022.