Biruni Institute, in partnership with University of Central Asia’s Institute of Public Policy and Administration, organized a webinar titled: “COVID-19: Outlook and Prospects for Economic Recovery in Afghanistan” on August 10, 2020.
The COVID-19 pandemic has plunged the Afghan economy into a deep recession. The economy is projected to contract by 8.2 percent in 2020, with the poverty rate forecast to have increased from nearly 55 percent in 2017 to around 72 percent in 2020. Revenue collection is severely affected by the economic slowdown, worsening the prospects for medium-term fiscal sustainability. Furthermore, the on-going ‘peace’ process and the upcoming donor pledging conference in November 2020 in Geneva add to the growing complexities for economic management during the crisis.
How can the Afghan Government support economic recovery through targeted programs for the poor and the private sector given the existing fiscal constraints? What type of development programs can be most effective in terms of poverty reduction and employment generation? What implications do donor pledges in the Geneva Conference have for fiscal and economic stability in the country? Has enough effort been made to tap into the potentials and opportunities that private sector offers for fiscal sustainability and economic recovery in Afghanistan?
The webinar addressed some of these questions. First, Mr. Nazir Kabiri, Executive Director of the Biruni Institute, began the webinar with a welcome address and set the stage for the discussion. Next, Dr. Omar Joya (Head of Research, Biruni Institute) presented the main findings of the latest edition of Afghanistan Economic Outlook (July 2020 release), followed by a panel discussion joined by Mr. Naser Sidiqee (Director General, Policy Department, Ministry of Finance) and Mr. Sayed Zaman Hashemi (CEO, Afghanistan Chambers of Commerce & Industries) and chaired by Dr. Roman Mogilevskii (Associate Director, UCA IPP). The webinar ended with concluding remarks by Dr. Bohdan Krawchenko (Dean, Graduate School of Development, UCA).
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