Minister of Commerce and Industries (Afghanistan)

Minister of Commerce and Industries
Agency overview
Jurisdiction Government of Afghanistan
Headquarters Darul Aman Road Kabul, Afghanistan
Minister responsible Minister Mohammad Amin Farhang
Website http://www.commerce.gov.af/

Current and past governments of Afghanistan have included a Minister of Commerce in the Afghan cabinet.[1] The Ministry of Commerce creates the enabling environment for sustainable and equitable economic growth and opportunity for all Afghans by promoting private sector development in a socially responsible free market economy. The Ministry has three basic goals: a) to promote the establishment and implementation of a legal and regulatory framework necessary for a free market economy b) to integrate Afghanistan into the regional and global economy and c) to facilitate and promote the development of a dynamic, competitive private sector.[2]

After the fall of the Taliban, the 2001 Bonn Conference formed an interim government for Afghanistan. In this Government, there was one minister for Commerce, one minister for mines and industries and one minister for small industries. In 2004, when the newly elected President Hamid Karzai formed his first official government, the post of small industries was deleted. After 2006, when there was a major cabinet reshuffle, the minister of Commerce became more and more referred to as the minister of Commerce and Industries. The formal portfolio of the minister of mines is now without that of industries, although he still is sometimes referred to as minister of Mines and Industries.

After the reelection of President Karzai he formed a second administration. in January 2010 both of the candidates that Karzai nominated for the post, first Ghulam Mohammad Eylaghi and later Zahir Waheed, were voted down by the Afghan Parliament, Eylaghi functioned for some time as acting minister of Commerce. Only in June 2010, when Karzai proposed Dr. Anwar-Ul-Haq Ahady as the new minister of Commerce, the ministry was lead again by someone who received the approval any minister needs from the Afghan Lower House of Parliament.

Ministers

Afghanistan's Minister of Commerce
Portfolio Name Term Appointed by Notes
Commerce Abdul Razak 1999-December 2001 Mullah Omar
  • Abdul Razak was a Guantanamo captive, who faced the allegation during his 2004 Combatant Status Review Tribunal that he had served as the Taliban's Commerce Minister.[3]
  • Abdul Razak acknowledged serving as Commerce Minister, but only from 1999 to 2001.[4]
Commerce Sayed Mustafa Kazemi December 2001 - December 2004 Bonn Conference, 2002 Loya Jirga
Small Industries Aref Noozari December 2001 - June 2002 Bonn Conference,
Small Industries Mohammed Alim Razm June 2002 - December 2004 2002 Loya Jirga
Commerce Hedaayat Ameen Arsala December 2004- March 2006 Hamid Karzai
  • Was in 2006 promoted to the position of Senior Minister
Commerce and Industries Mohammad Haidar Reza March 2006-January 2010 Hamid Karzai
  • Previously served as the nation's Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Commerce and Industries Ghulam Mohammad Eylaghi January 2010 - June 2010 Hamid Karzai
  • Served only as acting minister
Commerce and Industries Anwar ul-Haq Ahady June 2010 – present Hamid Karzai

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 Thomas H. Johnson (February 2006). "The Prospects for Post-Conflict Afghanistan: A Call of the Sirens to the Country’s Troubled Past" V (2). Strategic Insights. Retrieved 2009-06-29.
  2. ↑ About the Ministry of Commerce & Industry
  3. ↑ OARDEC (26 October 2004). "Summary of Evidence for Combatant Status Review Tribunal -- Razak, Abdul (published September 2007)". United States Department of Defense. pp. pages 37. Retrieved 2008-04-02.
  4. ↑ OARDEC (date redacted). "Summarized Statement". United States Department of Defense. pp. pages 39–45. Retrieved 2008-04-02. Check date values in: |date= (help)

External links