The Taliban on Tuesday announced a complete ban on the use of foreign currency in the country and warned of action for violating the order, according to a statement released by Taliban spokesperson, Zabiullah Mujahid.
“The Islamic Emirate (Taliban) instructs all citizens, shopkeepers, traders, businessmen, and the general public to … conduct all transactions in Afghanis and strictly refrain from using foreign currency,” said Zabiullah Mujahid in the statement.
“Anyone violating this order will face legal action,” the statement further read.
The US dollar is the widespread medium of exchange in Afghanistan’s markets. The bordering areas use the currency of neighboring countries like Pakistan for trade purposes.
Notably, Afghanistan’s access to more than USD 9.5 billion has been blocked by the US, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) after the Taliban take-over in Kabul on August 15.
Millions of Afghans have been internally displaced, and thousands have left the country giving rise to a growing humanitarian crisis.
The country is in a dire economic situation with no international support and connectivity, resulting in an extremely difficult situation for ordinary people.
(With inputs from agencies)
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