Afghanistan Central Bank Collects 1.5 Billion Afghanis in Worn-Out Notes

Despite the growing challenge that worn-out banknotes pose to daily financial transactions, the Central Bank of Afghanistan has announced continued efforts to collect and destroy these damaged notes.

According to the Central Bank, from the beginning of 1404 (Solar Hijri year) until now, more than 1.5 billion Afghanis worth of worn-out banknotes have been collected and burned from the northern and western zones of the country.

Hasibullah Noori, spokesperson for the Central Bank, stated: “The Central Bank of Afghanistan has managed to collect and burn 1.5 billion Afghanis worth of worn-out currency notes from the northern and western regions in 1404. These banknotes were collected according to a specific operational procedure and have been officially removed from circulation.”

Given that Afghanistan is still a heavily cash-based economy, a significant portion of its currency has become worn out or even unusable due to prolonged use.

In recent years, this issue has become a serious challenge for citizens and the national financial system.

Mohammad Omid, a Kabul resident, said: “Our country’s currency is part of our national identity, and we should strive to preserve it. You can see how worn-out and damaged our banknotes have become.”

Habiburrahman, another Kabul resident, said: “The old bills we use in the market—20s, 50s, 100s—are very worn out and create problems for us in daily transactions.”

Economic experts warn that without a clear mechanism to prevent the deterioration of banknotes, the national economy could face severe damage.
They argue that digitalizing financial and banking systems is the only long-term solution to this problem.

Abdul Zahoor Madbar, an economic analyst, said: “The presence of worn and damaged banknotes in the economic cycle causes disruption in transactions between consumers and producers. We need to invest seriously in digital transformation to fill this gap.”

Seiyar Quraishi, another economic expert, added: “Although it may seem like a minor issue, worn-out banknotes can undermine public trust and disrupt the overall flow of monetary use.”

Despite the Central Bank’s efforts, the current system of collecting and burning old currency has not been effective, and a significant portion of Afghanistan’s money has been wasted due to this ongoing challenge.