Private Sector Development in Afghanistan and Pakistan Evaluation Note / Ozan Acar

"Two major developments will be extremely important for the future of Afghanistan. The first is the 2014 presidential election that took place on April 5 and was an important step toward consolidating a transition to democracy. The second one is the withdrawal of NATO forces from the country until the end of 2014. The election is over, but the results have yet to be determined. The new president will need to decide on the Bilateral Security Agreement between the US and Afghanistan immediately after assuming his new role. As the NATO forces will hand over security to Afghanistan’s nascent national forces, it is highly likely that the country will spend a significant part of its energy on ensuring security in the near future. In such an environment, there is the risk that Afghanistan’s economic woes are being overlooked."