Conflict zones sometimes mean investment opportunities

International Herald Tribune. By Barbara Wall Friday, February 29, 2008 Ashraf Haidari, political counselor at the Afghan Embassy in Washington, said that the Jan. 14 terrorist attack at the Serena Hotel in Kabul might have shaken the confidence of many in the international community. Despite the risks, Afghanistan has attracted more than 750 foreign companies from 25 countries, which have collectively invested more than $1.3 billion in many sectors, including telecommunications, banking, services, transportation and logistics, food processing, and construction. There are at least 70 registered U.S. companies with a combined investment of more than $70 million, Haidari said. "Foreign investment has not only helped revitalize our war-torn economy but also changed Afghans' lives for the better," he said. "Where there were only less than 3,000 land-line telephones in Afghanistan six years ago, there are today more than 3.5 million cellphone users across Afghanistan. Internet cafés have opened in major urban areas, and telecommunication companies have just begun providing home Internet services, connecting Afghan households with the rest of the world for the first time."

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Contributor: M. Ashraf Haidari
Published Date: March 21, 2008