GHAZNI, Afghanistan — Addressing an event in Ghazni province, Taliban deputy chief minister Abdul Salam Hanafi said that returning investors and industrialists will be provided a five-year tax exemption.
Hanafi made the remarks during a land distribution ceremony for returnees in the central province of Ghazni.
He said the policy is part of a broader initiative to reintegrate Afghans who ran factories and commercial businesses abroad, particularly in neighboring Pakistan.
“These returning business owners will receive free land in industrial parks, housing near those parks, and full tax exemption for five years,” Hanafi said. He added that a special committee would provide oversight and support to returning investors.
The new policy echoes previous remarks by Abdul Ghani Baradar, the Taliban’s deputy prime minister for economic affairs, who stated at a recent investment conference in Kabul that returning investors would be offered “special incentives.” Baradar said the Taliban have created a “fully enabling environment” for domestic economic activity.
“In addition to other benefits, those who invest in new industrial sectors will be exempt from all taxes except employee income taxes for five years,” he said.
The Taliban’s Ministry of Urban Development and Housing also announced that 35 residential townships for returnees have been completed across 25 provinces. In Ghazni, officials laid the foundation stone for a new marketplace in Andar district, as part of a wider push to promote local commerce and infrastructure development.
The announcement comes amid growing discontent among business owners over high taxes and regulatory uncertainty. Although the Taliban have sought to present themselves as pro-business, many entrepreneurs remain skeptical, citing bureaucratic obstacles and the absence of international recognition as major barriers.
