Afghanistan | Documents & Reports | World Bank

Afghanistan - Afghanistan ICT Sector Development Project : P121755 - Implementation Status Results Report : Sequence 04

2013-05-24T04:00:00.000Z

Official Documents- Amendment No. 42 to the Grant Agreement for ARTF TF050577

2013-05-23T04:00:00.000Z

Official Documents- Ninth Amendment to the Letter Agreement for Ireland to TF050576

2013-05-23T04:00:00.000Z

Official Documents- Sixteenth Amendment to the Letter Agreement for Germany to TF050576

2013-05-23T04:00:00.000Z

Official Documents- Sixth Amendment to the Letter Agreement for Korea to TF050576

2013-05-23T04:00:00.000Z

Afghanistan - Afghanistan: System Enhancement for Health Action in Transition Project : P129663 - Implementation Status Results Report : Sequence 01

2013-05-16T04:00:00.000Z

Afghanistan - Second Customs Reform and Trade Facilitation Project : P112872 - Implementation Status Results Report : Sequence 06

2013-05-16T04:00:00.000Z

Project Information Document (Concept Stage) - DABS Planning And Capacity Support - P131228

2013-05-16T04:00:00.000Z

Integrated Safeguards Data Sheet (Concept Stage) - DABS Planning And Capacity Support - P131228

2013-05-15T04:00:00.000Z

Project Information Document (Concept Stage) - Naghlu Hydropower Rehabilitation Project - P132944

2013-05-15T04:00:00.000Z

Afghanistan - Nutrition at a glance

2013-05-10T04:00:00.000Z

Annually, Afghanistan loses over US dollar 235 million in GDP to vitamin and mineral deficiencies. Scaling up core micronutrient interventions would cost less than US dollar 17 million per year. Overall prevalence of stunting and underweight have decreased over the past two decades and the country is currently on track towards meeting (halving 1990 rates of child underweight by 2015). Nevertheless, much remains to be done to accelerate reductions in underweight and reduce low birth weight to improve outcomes for future generations of children.

Official Documents- Fourteenth Amendment to the ARTF Grant Agreement with Denmark for TF050576

2013-05-07T04:00:00.000Z

Official Documents- Third Amendment to the ARTF Grant Agreement for TF098459

2013-05-07T04:00:00.000Z

Common threads : steel case and ARZU's market-led approach to create employment opportunities for women weavers in Afghanistan

2013-05-06T04:00:00.000Z

ARZU, a Chicago-based Non-governmental Organization (NGO), was founded on the goal to apply a market-led approach for sustainable poverty alleviation achieved through artisan-based employment that empowers women. Focusing on Afghan women, the organization identified rug weaving as an employment opportunity that fit within the cultural framework and limitations for women that exist in the country. To begin the initiative in 2004, ARZU hired local staff based in Kabul, and they began to meet with village elders and explain what they wanted to do and ask for permission, taking into account the cultural norms of Afghan society. ARZU uses a combination of donations and the proceeds from sales to fund its social programs and pay the weavers fair market wages. It also covers the cost of local staff to ensure quality control, train weavers to improve techniques, and manage the distribution channels. Currently, ARZU's sales fund 50 percent of its social programs, and the organization hopes to be fully financially sustainable in the next several years. Steelcase and ARZU's partnership illustrates the realized potential of what can happen when an NGO and a corporation overlap in their strategic vision and goals and work together to create job opportunities for the poor. In this partnership, Steelcase accepted a product development cycle that was nearly six months longer to support employment in Afghanistan. As ARZU continues to forge new corporate clients and steelcase continues to seek new partnerships that employ workers in developing countries, a key lesson learned from this private sector-NGO partnership is that it is feasible for a corporation to contract out to social enterprises without lowering quality standard or significantly affecting profitability.

Afghanistan economic update

2013-05-02T04:00:00.000Z

One year into the transition process, Afghanistan sustains robust economic growth. An exceptional harvest, supported by the launch of first large-scale mining activities, increased real gross domestic product (GDP) growth from 7.3 percent to an estimated 11.8 percent in 2012. Inflation dropped to 6.4 percent and continuing high levels of aid helped to build up further international reserves. The medium-term outlook is tainted by uncertainty. Political and security uncertainties are expected to limit private-sector growth in the coming years. Increased public spending, however, will continue to fuel demand for services and construction through 2013. The transition process exposes Afghanistan to a number of serious risks, such as rising financing for public service provision. Security considerations aside, promoting sources of inclusive economic growth, especially agriculture, and strengthening domestic revenue mobilization will be important to mitigate some of these risks. In particular, a stronger reform effort in areas such as tax policy and customs is required to safeguard past gains in development. Finally, improvements in the legal and regulatory environment of mining could help to secure planned investment.

Afghanistan - National Solidarity Program III : P117103 - Implementation Status Results Report : Sequence 06

2013-04-29T04:00:00.000Z

Official Documents- Agreement for Grant TF014211

2013-04-23T04:00:00.000Z

Official Documents- Disbursement Letter for Grant TF014211

2013-04-23T04:00:00.000Z

Project Information Document (Concept Stage) - Afghanistan Resource Corridor Project - P145443

2013-04-23T04:00:00.000Z

Regaining momentum

2013-04-23T04:00:00.000Z

To regain the strong growth it had before the global crisis, South Asia will have to manage a combination of persistent external economic headwinds and increasing regional macroeconomic and structural vulnerabilities. Macroeconomic policies to tackle the adverse effects of the global downturn have left the South Asian countries with weaker fiscal and monetary options to stimulate growth today. With the exception of Afghanistan, economic growth across other South Asian countries- Bangladesh, Bhutan, Maldives, Nepal, and Sri Lanka-has been moderating or stagnating. In Bangladesh, with export and investment growth slowing, Gross Domestic product (GDP) growth is likely to fall to around 6 percent in FY2013/14, down from 6.3 percent in FY2012/13. Over the same period, Bhutan saw its growth rate decline from almost 9 percent to 7.6 percent. India's economy slowed significantly. As a result, growth of a subdued 3 percent is expected in FY2012/13, down from 4.6 percent in FY2011/12. A significant drop in the region's exports and fixed investment are primarily responsible for South Asia's growth moderation. Private consumption remained stable, helped by resilient remittance flows, and is expected to only pick up slowly due to effects of persistent inflation, fiscal consolidation and slow recovery in disposable income. The overall real effective exchange rate depreciation across South Asia reflects weak economic fundamentals. International reserves fell below critical levels of two months of import coverage in Pakistan and one month in Maldives, reflecting the two countries' difficult external situations. During the first eight months of FY2012/13, Pakistan's net international reserves fell to 1.8 months, down from 2.6 months in the previous fiscal year.