Investors’ kidnappings aimed to trigger capital flight: Analysts

KABUL (Pajhwok): Thirteen businessmen were kidnapped during the past three months in Afghanistan, with experts calling the incidents a conspiracy to trigger capital flight from the country.

Khan Jan Alokozai, deputy director of the Afghanistan Chamber of Commerce and Investment, told Pajhwok Afghan News that 13 abduction cases of businessmen took place across the country during the last two to three months.

Without elaborating, he said a number of the kidnapped men had been rescued by security forces, but some remained captive and efforts were being made to get them freed.

He believed the ‘enemies’ of the country wanted to create economical problems and therefore cases of kidnapping of businessmen had lately increased.

Pajhwok shared the issue of the abduction of 13 businessmen with the Ministry of Interior, but no one responded.

Abdul Nasir Reshtiya, an economic affairs analyst and the executive head of the iron and steel factories union, said some foreign circles wanted to harm the investment sector in Afghanistan and want to trigger capital flight from the country.

He said ensuring security of the life and property of investors and political stability were crucial to attracting investment.

He asked the Islamic Emirate to guarantee the security of all investors as insecurity could undoubtedly lead to capital flight.

Another analyst of economic affairs, Mohammad Shabir Bashiri, also said the current government should pay special attention to the safety and security of domestic and foreign investors.

He said if investors fled the country and withdrew their capital, it would lead to increased poverty, unemployment and humanitarian crisis in the country. He said anyone threatening investors should be stopped.

Similarly, another economist, Qais Mohammadi, said the incidents of investors’ kidnapping had a negative effect on foreign investors and showed Afghanistan was not suitable for investment.

He said when intelligence circles wanted to make a region insecurity, they kidnap investors for ransom.

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