Taliban Shut Down 19 Exchange Offices in Lashkargah, Helmand over Licensing Issues

Local sources in Helmand report that the Taliban administration closed 19 currency exchange offices in Lashkargah’s “Adil Market” today, Monday, July 6. According to these sources, a joint delegation led by officials from the Taliban’s Central Bank carried out the closures. The reason for this action was the lack of operation licenses under newly established regulations.

According to information from the sources, exchange dealers in Lashkargah are required to deposit at least 10 million Afghanis as a guarantee in the Central Bank to obtain a license. This condition is part of the regulations introduced by the Taliban’s Central Bank after the group regained control of the country. Officials from the Taliban administration in Helmand and the local exchangers have not yet officially commented on the matter.

In 2022, the Taliban’s Central Bank issued a nine-article directive outlining a new framework for the operation of exchange offices and money service companies. Under this directive, applicants in major cities such as Kabul, Herat, Kandahar, and Balkh must have a minimum capital of 50 million Afghanis. In other provinces, the minimum capital requirement to establish an exchange company is set at 10 million Afghanis, and exchangers must deposit 5 million Afghanis as a guarantee.

Following the publication of this regulation, exchangers in several provinces protested against the strict conditions and their impact on their businesses, but the Taliban administration has not made any significant changes to these rules. Critics say the continuation of these restrictions could hinder small-scale financial activities in the provinces and further limit residents’ access to money services.