Reforming Urban Institutions, Strengthening Property Rights, and Mobilizing Cities as Engines of Economic Growth

Speech at the Fifth National Urban Conference

Keypoints: 

• Citizen-centered governance: Putting citizens at the core of urban services and accountability.
• Urban planning reform: Updating master plans and zoning for structured city growth.
• Economic urban growth: Turning cities into engines of investment and productivity.
• Land rights formalization: Securing property ownership to reduce disputes and boost investment.
• Institutional reform: Improving municipal efficiency, transparency, and service delivery.
• Infrastructure expansion: Developing water, power, transport, and housing systems.
• Private sector role: Encouraging investment partnerships in urban development.
• Gender inclusion: Ensuring women’s access to services and property rights.
• Rule of law: Addressing land grabbing and strengthening urban legal order.
• Fiscal self-reliance: Increasing municipal revenues and reducing aid dependency.

Salam Khana Palace, Kabul

In the name of Allah, the Most Gracious, the Most Merciful.

Dear sisters and brothers, esteemed citizens of Kabul, honored guests from Kandahar, Herat, Nangarhar, and Balkh; Honorable Vice President Danesh, Mr. Muslimyar, the Attorney General, members of the Cabinet, members of the National Assembly (Wolesi Jirga and Meshrano Jirga): First of all, I offer you the gift of the Leader of Humanity: Peace be upon you and the mercy and blessings of Allah!

Welcome to your home! I hope you see the difference between a democratic government and a hereditary one. The problems of the people are the problems of the Arg (the Palace). Our duty and obligation are to solve them. People ask me why I welcome every citizen who comes here personally. It is because you are my masters. Without your votes, could someone who had neither gold nor guns come here? God willing, now that we have arrived, we will break those who had power but lacked wisdom.

Citizen-Centered Urban Reform

Our work begins with the people, and in the urban sector, it starts with the Afghan citizen. The reason is that the administration has created many problems for the citizens, not the other way around. Most major cities in Afghanistan became "informal" (illegal) because, in the past, neither the municipalities, the Ministry of Urban Development, nor the government were citizen-centered.

Land grabbing occurred because there was no plan to save the people from it. The fundamental point of this conference is to change this. I thank Mr. Paikar, the Kabul Municipality, Mr. Popal, the IDLG, and Professor Danesh for initiating this discussion.

The Challenges of Infrastructure and Expectations

We must see problems through the eyes of the citizen. Mr. Paikar, the people of Herat, Kandahar, Mazar-i-Sharif, and Nangarhar have presented a list of twelve major issues. We must understand these proposals and manage expectations. The programs suggested by our citizens across these five cities would cost at least $20 billion.

Sisters and brothers, we do not have $20 billion. No power in the world is going to give us that amount. We must change our perspective. These problems are solvable, but not if you want to remain "consumerist" cities. I want to hear how we turn cities into engines of economic growth. 95% of the proposals today were consumer-based. I have never lied to you: Stop the culture of begging; we must stand on our own feet.

Modernizing the Administration

The administration is both the problem and the solution. Our people live in the 21st century, but parts of our administration are still stuck in the 19th or early 20th century. Some outsiders claim the Afghan people are in the 16th century while they are in the 21st. I say the Afghan people are in the 21st century, but the administration is lagging! It must be reformed, and that reform has begun.

The Vision for Urban Growth

Why should a city be an engine of growth? Four years ago, we inherited cities—including this great capital—that lacked momentum. Today, movement is felt, but it is not enough.

• Clear Vision: We have a six-volume vision for Kabul. I direct Mr. Paikar and Mr. Popal to ensure Kandahar, Nangarhar, Balkh, and Herat have similarly clear visions.

• Master Plans: Current master plans are often obstacles rather than tools for growth because they prevent investment. We need to know: which way is the city growing? For example, Kabul is moving East and South. We are investing heavily in West Kabul and moving government offices to Darulaman.

Rule of Law and Property Rights

For nearly a hundred years, the Municipal Law had not changed. We finally have one of the best municipal laws in the world. Now, we need zoning. Clear zoning can activate $3 to $6 billion in private investment. The private sector is not the enemy; it is the partner of the state.

Land Titling (Formalization)

Property ownership is the Sharia right of every Afghan. Moving from "customary" (Urfi) to "legal" (Shar’i) ownership quadruples investment. Today, people fear the police or minor officials regarding their homes. For God's sake, remove this fear! When a person has lived in a house for 20 years, you cannot tell them at midnight that it is "illegal." Formalizing titles will also reduce the hundreds of thousands of lawsuits that overwhelm our courts.

Essential Infrastructure: Water and Power

1. Water: A Vital Issue

Until the National Unity Government, no serious attention was paid to clean water.

• Kandahar: Plans for the Dahla Dam are ready. If we raise it by 7 meters, we have water for 25 years; by 12 meters, for 50 years. I ask the people of Kandahar to cooperate with land acquisition for this vital project.

• Kabul: The Shahtoot Dam is in its final stages.

• Sustainability: We must learn from cities like Isfahan and Mashhad that are struggling with water. Six million Afghans have moved to cities, and four million more are coming. We must act now.

2. Electricity: The National Grid

In four years, we have provided more electricity to provinces than in the previous 100 years. In two years, a unified national grid will connect all of Afghanistan.

• Renewables: We are focusing on solar and wind energy.

• Transit: Imported power is not about dependency; it is about transit revenue. From the TAP project and CASA-1000, we expect hundreds of millions of dollars in annual transit fees.

• Conservation: I urge citizens to save power. If Kabul switched to energy-efficient bulbs, we would gain 100MW of electricity immediately.

Social Inclusion and Gender

We need a deadline to reform unplanned areas. I also support increasing the number of women in the urban sector. To the men in this room: You gave women a seat at this conference, but you did not sufficiently account for their problems. From transport to basic facilities—how many places are there between Kabul and Mazar where a woman can stop and wash her face? None. You must see urban problems through the eyes of an Afghan woman.

Joint Ownership: I insist that land titles be issued in the names of both husband and wife. This provides security for women. My own grandmother held all the property of my grandfather; this is our tradition, not a foreign import.

Security and Ending Land Grabbing

Land grabbing must end. I thank the Attorney General. Land grabbers have trampled on the blood of our martyrs. They should have no place in our culture. Whether they seize canal lands or hills, my warning is clear: You will be prosecuted and spend 20 years in prison.

Regarding Urban Security, Mr. Amrullah Saleh is now in charge. People are dissatisfied with urban security and the lack of cooperation between security agencies and municipalities. This must change fundamentally.

Conclusion: A Mutual Commitment

We are starting administrative complexes and hospital waiting rooms across the provinces, involving an investment of 8 billion Afghanis. We are building 2,700 schools using local materials.

My final request to the urban sector:

1. Classify and solve the people's problems immediately.

2. Bring specific proposals for private investment.

3. Create frameworks for affordable housing.

4. Use state land as a catalyst for growth.

We need a mutual commitment between the citizen and the administration. If you look at these problems, you might think they are impossible to solve. But let me tell you: your President was born for difficult days. While others might cry in hard times, I smile—because God has given me this nation. This land is ours. We will protect it, we will nurture it, and we will bring it to peace.