The challanges before Economic Policymakers of IEA.

The Challenge before Economic Policymakers of Islamic Emirate Afghanistan Economic policy is one of the most important means for influencing the behavior of individuals. It is an essential tool for social organization. It is therefore essential for economic policymakers to clearly understand the purpose and the objective of economic policymaking in an Islamic state. The Purpose of Economic Policymaking The Islamic state in a system of governance (policymaking and policy implementation for inducing its subjects) to live a life that leads to the achievement of فالح in (آخرت ،معاد(. Economic policymaking and implementation is an important instrument for achieving this objective. Economic policy is therefore necessarily embedded within and integrated into the comprehensive state strategy for creating and strengthening Islamic individuality and social order. Economic policymaking cannot therefore “stand alone” i.e. be separated from the overall Dawah process. The purpose of economic policy in an Islamic state cannot be similar to the purpose of economic policy in secular state. The purpose of economic policymaking in a secular state is the maximization of the rate of growth of consumption and capital accumulation (GNP growth). In secular state (and these include all Muslim countries except Afghanistan and Iran) increasing capital accumulation and citizens’ living standard is an “end in itself” – the sole purpose of economic policy. This is a means for creating and strengthening capitalist individuality – an individuality dominated by Hirs and Hasad. In secular state economic policy is fully integrated within the national endeavor to create and sustain capitalist individuality and capitalist social order (i.e. civil society). GNP growth and the growth of per capita consumption cannot be accepted as an “end in itself” in Islamic states because Islamic states seek to create Islamic individuality and social order – an individuality and society dominated by the virtues of Zuhad, Infaq, Sabr, Qana’at and which suppress Hasad and Hirs as values – in other words, Islamic states seek to create and sustain anti-capitalist societies and individuality.Therefore the purpose of economic policymaking and implementation in Afghanistan must be the promotion of Infaq, Sabr, Qana’at and Tawakkul at the mass level. The Situation in Afghanistan Afghanistan and Iran are exceptional Islamic states. Islamic states existed for over 1200 years from the time of the Prophet یلص ہللا ہیلع ملسو up to the end of the Usmania Khilafat. But up to the 19th century they were not surrounded by an imperialist global system. Today Iran and Afghanistan are relatively weak Islamic entities in a threatening aggressive imperialist capitalist world. To effectively confront this imperialist threat and build a nationally self-reliant economic system Afghanistan must rapidly increase national wealth and the physical resources which the country can utilize. This means that a rapid increase in total production and investment (افزائی دولت (is direly needed for the survival of the Islamic regime. GNP growth is a measure of the growth of production and investment (افزائی دولت(. Alhamdolillah the growth deceleration has been moderated in 2022 compared to 2021 and there is every likelihood that positive growth will be achieved in 2023 despite sanction and American robbery of Afghan foreign exchange assets. Increasing GDP growth should therefore be a major concern of economic policy in Afghanistan.

But accelerating GDP growth is not an end in itself. It is a means for the promotion of the virtues of Qana’at, Tawakkul and Infaq. It is means for promoting Islamic consciousness among the masses. During the periods of Russian and American occupation (1979-2021) the economic system in Afghanistan was organized along capitalist lines. This naturally led to a corruption of Afghan society and individuality. It led to the promotion of the vices of Hasad and Hirs among the masses, diluting Islamic consciousness and the impact of traditional Afghan culture and ideals. Today by the grace and mercy of Allah power is in the hands of those mutaqeen who have been least effected by capitalist moral and social corruption. The principle task of the IEA is to raise the masses morally and spiritually to the level of the mutaqeen. In this sense all policymakers – including economic policymakers – are mujahideen, constructing a new non-capitalist Islamic society in Afghanistan. The basic challenge the economic policymakers face is how to ensure that the process of the growth of national wealth (GNP) contributes to the growth of Islamic consciousness (the promotion of Infaq, Sabr, Tawakkul and Zuhd) among the Afghan masses. Practical Steps to Ensure that Growth of Wealth (GNP) Contributes to the Promotion of Islamic Virtues Development of a comprehensive nationwide planning system The basic resource the mutaqeen possess today is the state and its administrative machinery. Planning is an essential tool for governing the market – governing the nation-wide system for the production and distribution of goods and services so as to meet (a) the basic material needs of the population (b) the defense requirements to defeat internal terrorism and external threats (c) the need for a continuous expansion of productivity of the economy through افزائی دولت (investment). Allocation of physical, money and credit resources to ensure that production and distribution of prioritized goods and services are effectively promoted. These measures may include allocation of state investment and credit control of the prices of prioritized goods and services and implementation of a taxation and subsidization system. A tentative list of prioritized sectors is given below. Basic Needs: grain, meat, standard clothing, education and health services Defense Equipment: IT services, small arms, anti-aircraft technology Productivity Enhancement: Energy, communication, mining, heavy machinery, technical education and training. Organization of the Planning Process Planning must be organized on a mass bases. The aim should be to involve about 1 percent of the population (300,000 men) in the planning process. The planning administrative structure should consist of The central ministry of planning or planning commission. A planning ministry at provincial level. Planning units in all districts. Planning offices in all major industrial and service establishments, markets and at village community levels. The planning cycle must be structured as follows:

Planning proposals for a year (say 2024) be prepared by the central planning commission especially output and investment targets at all production and service levels (factories, offices, agricultural areas etc.) This proposal is sent through provincial and district planning offices to planning offices at the production/distribution sites. These proposed targets are revised by planning offices at the production/services sites. The revised proposals are coordinated at the district and provincial levels and the central planning commission. Taking account of the revisions made at each level the central planning commission issues the final draft of the amended plan for submission to the cabinet. Planning thus becomes a mass process in which planners at all levels – production/services sites, district, provincial, central – are responsible for target formulation (and for assessing their realization). Planners at production sites are also responsible for planning target implementation under the supervision of district provincial planning offices. There is a continuous flow of information and direction between all levels of the planning system. Integrating the process with Dawah. The purpose of planning – and of all economic policymaking in Afghanistan – is the promotion of the virtues of Sabr, Qana’at, Tawakkul, Infaq and Zuhd – wealth creation is seen as a means to this end. This requires the integration of the planning process with the organization of Dawah throughout the economy. This purpose is served by the purpose of the establishment of a Dawah Majlis at all production and distribution (market) sites and at all provincial and central ministerial levels. The function of the Dawah Majlis will be as follows: To organize religious and spiritual training of all workers , managers and major customers in the unit. To advocate and defend the economic and social and administrative policies of the Islamic government. To control and administer the distribution of health services and other social facilities to the employees and foremen. To represent the workers and customers of the unit within the state administrative system. To collect periodically (i.e. on a monthly and quarterly basis) statistics on the moral and ethical attitude of the production and distribution workers, managers and customers through surveys questionnaires and interviews and other qualitative data and information techniques. The central statistical office will develop a set of formats for categorizing such qualitative information and these formats will provide a basis for quarterly reports submitted by local Dawah Majlis assessing the impact of economic policies on the moral and ethical condition of workers and customers at the production and distribution sites throughout the economy. The Dawah Majlis at all levels – central, provincial, district unit will be led by a recognized religious/spiritual buzurg and consist of mashaikh, ulama and tribal elders and chiefs. The supreme head of the national Dawah Majlis will be Hazrat Ameer-ul-Moumineen hifz Allah or his nominee.

Promoting National Self-Reliance Afghanistan is an exceptional Islamic state because it exists within a threatening global dar-al harb. Imperialism seeks to destroy the emerging Islamic socio-political order in Afghanistan. Having been defeated in war over four decades it now seeks to subvert Afghan society through economic penetration and sabotage. Its main weapons in this counter-revolutionary campaign are (a) foreign trade (b) foreign investment (c) development of monetary system (d) the provision of technical advice and consultation services especially through the UN and its agencies (UNESCO, IFAID, UNICEF). All these imperialist initiatives are attempts to subordinate the Afghan economy and society within the global capitalist system – the global dar-al-harb. Imperialist strategy seeks to directly approach the Afghan masses while bypassing the Islamic government. It wants to subordinate the Afghan authority in the global commodity, finance, technology and money markets. To counter this imperialist strategy the Islamic state has the duty to protect the Afghan masses from exposure to imperialist trade, finance and technology flows. This requires: Nationalization of foreign trade and ensuring that all foreign exchange inflows and outflows are sequestered to the Islamic government. State control of IT service platforms and control of information and data flows to and from Afghanistan. That foreign investment be limited to joint ventures with the Afghan government and Afghan public sector firms on terms and conditions laid down by the Islamic government. Non-renewal of membership of imperialist multilateral organizations – IMF, World Bank, FATF, FAO, WTO, ADBP, Islamic Development Bank etc. Nationalization of all banks and financial institutions and total state control of the issuance and distribution of currency and credit within a tamveeli system. Promotion of trade, investment and technology transformation with countries that are under sanctions and being excluded from the global commercial and financial markets – Iran, Russia, North Korea, Cuba, Belarus and Venezuela. Economic policy must aim at re-organizing the transactional structures both within the country and with the rest of the world since the global economy is predominantly dar-al-harb. The Islamic regime must seek to reduce the dependence of the Afghan national economy on global economic transactional systems and become self-sustaining. This implies that the focus of economic policy making must be on promoting domestic production, investment and demand and not on the growth of foreign trade and investment (except trade and investment with countries such as Russia, Iran, Venezuela etc. that are being pushed outside the global system by imperialist sanctions). This means that the sole actor dealing with global commodity, financial and technology markets must be the Islamic state and its public institutions (since they alone are fully possessed by the mutaqeen who are relatively more capable of rejecting submission to the vices of Hirs and Hasad. The private sector must be fully protected – fully insulated – from exposure to the evil moral influence of global capitalist harabi markets.