Afghanistan will face major business challenges if the government does not step up its support for business owners and industries in the country, the Afghan Minister of Commerce told the Senate on Tuesday.

Commerce Minister Anwar-Ul-Haq Ahady emphasised that the Afghan government should do more to support the economy by way of the local businesses, pointing to a decreasing budget as international forces withdraw.

"Even though the government has $6 billion in its budget, this will definitely decrease after transition and we will face major business challenges," Ahady told the senators.

"We will need $8 billion a year for another ten years."

Ahady joined other economic and industry leaders called before the Senate to discuss the nation's financial situation and its aims at the upcoming Tokyo summit on next month which will focus on Afghanistan's development.

Afghan senators summoned the Ministers of Finance, Economy, Commerce, Agriculture and President Hamid Karzai's economic advisor to speak.

Finance Minister Hazrat Omar Zakhilwal said in his presentation that at least 90 percent of Afghanistan's economy was dependent on foreign aid.

With this aid expected to gradually decrease from 2015 to 2025, it would be necessary to assess how Afghanistan can gain economic independence after the transition.

He also said Afghanistan will need 10 to 30 percent international aid at least until 2025, something which will also be addressed at the Tokyo summit.

"Currently, Afghanistan economics depends 90 percent on international aid and the upcoming Tokyo summit will focus on the independence of Afghanistan in the next 10 years," Zakhilwal added.

"Until at least 2025, Afghanistan will need to receive 10 to 30 percent international aid."

Meanwhile, Economy Minister Abdul Hadi Arghandiwal said that his ministry had been sidelined in the economy policy makings. He believes that in order to have economical improvements, a policy should consider food safety and employment opportunities.

He also emphasised that nothing major had been done in the past ten years to improve the economical situation of the country, harking back to statements he made last week that foreign organisations and governments had spent billions of dollars in Afghanistan without any transparency or accountability.
"Currently we don't have a particular economic policy in the country; we also don't have a clear definition of economics in the Afghanistan. I confess that nothing major has been done for the improvement of economic situation," he said.

Karzai's economic advisor Sham Lal Patija disagreed with Arghandiwal saying that he believes plenty has been done to improve the country, namely in infrastructure.

"According to my experience from other countries, considering the current situation in the country, plenty has been done," he said.

Agriculture Minister Mohammad Asif Rahimi said that his ministry requested $432 million for the next three years to implement several irrigation projects.

"We need $432 million in order to launch several irrigation projects which should be discussed at the upcoming Tokyo summit," he said.(TOLO News)