Requirements for Investment and Trade Licenses

The Afghan High Commission for Investment (HCI) has established the Technical Commission, in order to facilitate and streamline private investment.

Australian Companies set up IT and Telecommunications entity in Kabul

Afghan ITT is a joint venture between a group of Afghan individuals, Australian IT entity Australian Cable & Telephony Pty Ltd and Australian telecommunications, aviation and broadcasting specialist entity, Ambidji Pty Ltd. more

Trans-Afghanistan pipeline Agreement Signed

Leaders from Afghanistan, Pakistan and Turkmenistan have signed an agreement to launch a AUST$5.8-billion gas pipeline that represents one of the first major investment projects in Afghanistan in decades.

The framework agreement signed by Afghan President H.E. Hamid Karzai, Turkmen President H.E. Saparmurat Niyazov and Pakistani Prime Minister H.E. Zafarullah Khan Jamali defines the legal mechanisms for setting up a consortium to build and operate the pipeline. Present at the signing ceremony were Afghan Minister for Foreign Affairs H.E. Dr Abdullah Abdullah and Afghan Minister for Mines and Industry H.E. Joma Mohamadi.

The project is forecast to bring Afghanistan more than AUST$450 million in transit fees annually and create some 12,000 jobs for the Afghan people. In addition, Afghanistan will benefit from the natural gas itself. Trans-Afghanistan pipeline is 1400km long, with 750km passing through Afghanistan.

The three leaders stressed at a news conference that their agreement could open the way for foreign investment.

• The only requirement to invest in Afghanistan will be to maintain a valid bank account and to pass a criminal background check.
• Investments in Afghanistan can be 100-percent foreign owned.
• Previous requirements for foreign investors to deposit US$50,000 (approx. Aus$90,000) to obtain a commercial license, and domestic investors to place collateral amounting to half the value of the planned investment, are now waived.