E. Walter Koenig IIISenior Commercial Officer

U. S. Embassy, Kabul Afghanistan

The Private Sector in Afghanistan

Topics

Department of Commerce programs to promote private sector growth.

Trends that are pushing private sector growth forward.

Near term opportunities and events

20+ Years of international business experience Chairman/CEO Laserbit Communications—

Budapest AVAYA--Regional Vice President Middle East,

Africa and South East Europe Lucent Technologies—Regional Vice

President Eastern Europe, Russia CIS Director Sales and Marketing, AT&T Saudi

Arabia 3+ Years as Senior Economic Advisor, U.

S. State Department Basrah, Iraq Currently the Senior Commercial Officer

for U. S. Embassy Kabul

3

U. S. Department of Commerce Mission in Afghanistan

Expansion of Trade and Investment Imports/ExportsSupport for Direct Investment

Capacity BuildingHuman Capital Institutions

We are seeing significant and positive business trends…More than 100 American Companies and NGOs received business licenses in the last 12 months.

Modern Shopping Centers are Becoming more commonplace

International brands are growingIn numbers and expanding

Airlines are expanding to servegrowing domestic and international needs

Traditional industries are growing

Major Construction is on the Rise

The extractives industry is rampingproduction

Wireless Communications include 3G and Beyond

• Binding agreement of a long-term framework for U.S.-Afghan relations after the draw down of U.S. forces.

• The United States will move to a full-support role of Afghan sovereignty, stability and prosperity.

Business Sentiment Greatly Improved after the signing of the SPA, Strategic Partnership Agreement, 1 May 2012

New Industries are Being Established to fill Local Demand

Consumer Products—Shoe factory in Kabul

Construction Materials—State of the Art Steel plant in Herat

Agribusiness—Ice Cream Factory

Logistics Value Chain--state of the art cold food storage facility--Kabul

The New Kabul City project is a major move forward

• Public Private Partnership project to develop a massive planned unit development in phases over 15 years.

• Project will address an estimated doubling of the population of Kabul by 2025.

• The project will include industrial and agriculture zones.

• The DCDA, an independent state owned enterprise will tender various development phases to the private sector.

Herat Trade and Investment Conference—Currently Planned for Q1 2013 Global in Scope Focus on construction, agribusiness, transportation

logistics, consumer products, IT Franchise Business Mission —November 2012 Herat Industrial Union event—October 2012 Agriculture Trade Event, Kabul– November 7,8,9 2012 Focused capacity building events: Commercial Law

Development Program, Carpet training, reverse trade missions.

We will capitalize on current trends to continue to move the development of the private sector forward.

We are here to help you become a part of the Afghan story Networking with local businesses—match

making. Assistance in the local business licensing Vetting potential partners Market information Trade events We are on your team, reach us at

Walt Koenig - koenigew@state.govDavid Marsden – dmarsden@usaid.gov