Cash flight out of Afghanistan

Will the country’s economy collapse as billions in aid money leave the country along with international security forces?

There is a lot of concern about security in Afghanistan as international forces look to a 2014 drawdown.

But few have given any thought to an aid drawdown, one with the potential to collapse the Afghan economy.

Since 2001 donors have provided more than $52bn to Afghanistan. Barack Obama, the US president, has requested $12.8bn for the 2012 financial year alone, to equip and train Afghan forces.

Then there is declared money – about $4.6bn – which passed through Kabul’s airport in suitcases last year, mostly to Dubai. The real figure could be much higher as Afghanistan has been the centre of a $68bn global opiate trade.

Afghanistan’s central bank has now capped money leaving the country at $20,000, anything higher requires a bank transfer. But keeping track of all the money is a big problem, mostly because of corruption, or at the least, shady dealings.

Al Jazeera’s James Bays spoke to Noorullah Delawari, the governor of Afghanistan’s central bank, about what was being done to stop money leaving the country.

Source: ALJAZEERA