logo
episode-header-image
Aug 2021
18m 25s

The economics of the Taliban

Bbc World Service
About this episode

The economy of Afghanistan is collapsing as remittances and foreign aid dry up. As the militant Taliban consolidate their control over the country, it's unclear whether they will be capable, or even interested, in propping up the economy to prevent further humanitarian crises. Today on Business Daily, we're looking at how the economics of life under the Taliban. Professor Jonathan Goodhand of SOAS University of London, explains how the Taliban managed to generate revenues over the years since the US invasion, from local taxation on commodities, as well as support from sympathetic parties outside the country. Ian Hannan, a British mining engineer, says the Taliban has also benefitted enormously from mining in recent years. Now, the big question is whether they will be able to manage the country's entire economy, and Vanda Felbab-Brown of the Brookings Institution in Washington D.C. thinks Afghanistan cannot survive without the aid it has relied on for decades.

Producer: Frey Lindsay

(Image: Taliban militants in Kabul on August 16th, 2021. Image credit: AFP via Getty Images)

Up next
Today
Gates Foundation CEO on cuts to global aid
As governments cut back on how much they spend on global aid, the head of the Gates Foundation Mark Suzman speaks exclusively to Business Daily about how the world’s poorest are being affected. He tells us world governments “should be embarrassed” that the Foundation has overtake ... Show More
19 m
Yesterday
Can Starbucks regain its buzz?
It’s probably the world’s best-known coffee chain but just over a year ago, business wasn’t doing well. Sales had slipped, customers were drifting away and the buzz had gone. Newly-arrived CEO Brian Niccol was handed a tough task: stop the fall and make the coffee shops somewhere ... Show More
17m 28s
Jan 30
The man who built Africa's largest AI firm
From the deserts of Tunisia to the boardrooms of global tech giants, we meet Karim Beguir, the mathematician who turned two laptops and 2000 dollars into Africa’s biggest AI firm. We hear how his company, Instadeep, caught the attention of Meta’s Mark Zuckerberg, and how it helpe ... Show More
19m 14s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2023
The Taliban Tallys Up Business With China
This week on The New Arab Voice, we’re looking at the Afghan economy under the Taliban. We examine the economic trade between the hardline group and the Chinese, who this month signed a major oil extraction deal to start tapping into Afghanistan’s vast natural reserves. The Talib ... Show More
21m 52s
Aug 2021
The challenges facing the Taliban
The World Bank this week halted funding for projects in Afghanistan, following the lead of the IMF and US government which also froze payments and accounts. The increased financial pressure on the Taliban is just one of the many challenges they’ll face now they've taken control o ... Show More
49m 2s
Aug 2022
Afghanistan one year later
tail spinning
23m 14s
Jul 2022
Afghanistan's challenges after US withdrawal
A 5.9 magnitude earthquake last week in Afghanistan destroyed hundreds of homes and left around 1,000 people dead - including at least 155 children. The country, now ruled by the Taliban, was already struggling to feed and provide health services to its people just 10 months afte ... Show More
49m 15s
Aug 2022
Afghanistan: The Rise of the Taliban (2021)
How did a small group of Islamic students go from local vigilantes to one of the most infamous and enigmatic forces in the world? The Taliban is a name that has haunted the American imagination since 2001. The scenes of the group's brutality repeatedly played in the Western media ... Show More
54m 19s
Apr 2023
Afghanistan: How the Taliban Won
In August 2021, Afghanistan's capital city Kabul, was captured by the Taliban. With scenes of panic, anarchy, and chaos splashed across every major news outlet - it marked the final moments of the War in Afghanistan. With more than 123,000 individuals evacuated by the US Coalitio ... Show More
37m 38s