- Duration:
Feb 2011 – Aug 2016 - Value: $108 million
OVERVIEW
- Duration:
Mar 2015 – Mar 2019 - Value: $13.3 million
OVERVIEW
Legal protection for business is critical to long-term economic growth. In Afghanistan, the legal regulations for commerce are underdeveloped and businesses do not always have access to this legal protection. In addition, the country lacks skilled lawyers and judges who are able to argue and adjudicate commercial cases. Commercial laws are poorly written and ineffective for modern day commercial needs. That is why USAID partners with the U.S. Department of Commerce in its Commercial Law Development Program to achieve an effective commercial legal framework and provide greater economic opportunities for Afghan entrepreneurs.
USAID’s support to one of Afghanistan’s leading financial services firms, the Small Enterprise Assistance Funds-Afghan Growth Finance (SEAF-AGF) program, helped local entrepreneurs and change-driven companies utilize financial inputs and add value through innovation and use of new technologies. From its inception in 2008, SEAF-AGF’s success in Afghanistan stemmed from its ability to structure dynamic financing options and provide management with hands-on operational support, as well as provide Afghan businesses with the international connections needed to accelerate their growth and profitability. AGF offered financing solutions to growth-oriented companies operating in key sectors of the economy. Strong emphasis was placed on agribusiness and agro-processing, light manufacturing, alternative energy, transport and distribution, consumer products and retail, services, and technology/communications. Investments were structured to match cash flows and capital requirements of each business, ranging from $100,000 to $11.5 million.
AESP provided architectural and engineering services for USAID in the sectors of energy, transportation, vertical structures, and water and sanitation. This $97 million program completed 219 work orders over seven years. AESP developed a USAID program to expand Afghanistan’s electric power system, a model internship program for Afghan women, quick response surveys for disaster relief, and an initiative to safeguard the structural capacity of Afghanistan’s schools and hospitals.
Assistance in Building Afghanistan by Developing Enterprises (ABADE) works with the private sector to strengthen its productivity and help enterprises sustain growth and create jobs. ABADE’s objectives are to increase domestic and foreign investment, stimulate employment and improve sales of Afghan products. ABADE’s public-private alliances with Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) help reduce the risks involved with business expansion. The project coordinates with other USAID programs to improve the business-enabling environment, develop a skilled workforce and facilitate access to finance.
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