Trade and Livelihoods in the Afghanistan-Pakistan Borderlands
Network, X-Border Local Research; aid, UK; acsor | August 2019
Abstract
Securing borders and regulating cross-border trade is a key challenge for the Afghan State. Border security is inseparable from the larger war effort: insurgents continue to move easily across borders, taking advantage of terrain, ineffective border controls and tribal connections. In border areas, a vast share of the local population makes a living from both licit and illicit trade, much of which evades taxation. In order to deliver services, assure security and shore up its legitimacy, the Afghan state would have to improve its capacity to deny entry to militants and collect customs duties and taxes. However, taming corruption and enforcing stricter border controls in conflict-affected areas are daunting tasks. Restricting cross-border movement would also affect the livelihoods of millions of Afghans in some of the country’s most contested regions, potentially undermining efforts to restore peace.
In June 2016, Pakistani authorities started enforcing stricter controls along the border, ostensibly in response to insurgent attacks in Pakistan. Incoming Afghans must now present a valid passport and visa at official border crossings. In addition, Pakistan is fencing the border: as of January 2019, approximately 900 km had been completed. Pakistan has on occasion shut down the border for several days or weeks at a stretch.
Citation
Network, X-Border Local Research; aid, UK; acsor. 2019. Trade and Livelihoods in the Afghanistan-Pakistan Borderlands. © The Asia Foundation. http://hdl.handle.net/11540/11224.Keywords
Free Trade
Trade Facilitation
Trade
Economic integration
Regional Economic Integration
Intraregional Trade
Macroeconomic
Macroeconomic Analysis
Macroeconomic Framework
Macroeconomic Models
Macroeconomic Performance
Macroeconomic Planning
Macroeconomic Policies
Macroeconomic Reform
Macroeconomic Stabilization
Economic planning
Economic structure
Growth policy
Trade relations
Trade policy
Economic development
Economies in transition
International economy
Border integration
Economic integration
Gross domestic product
Trade Regulations
Exchange Rate
Economic zones
Protection
Regional economics
Economic forecasting
Economic development projects
Success in business
Business
Free trade
Business
Economics
Communication in economic development
Restraint of trade
International economic integration
Trade blocs
East-West
Exchange rates
Economic Zones
Value chains
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