The Central Bank of Afghanistan (Da Afghanistan Bank, DAB) reported on its first deputy governor’s meeting in Turkey with the Participation Banks Association of Turkey (TKBB), setting out cooperation to strengthen Afghanistan’s electronic payment infrastructure and related technical capacity and training. In the discussions, DAB’s first deputy governor said Afghanistan has fully discontinued interest-based banking and that all commercial banks provide services in accordance with Sharia law, while also pointing to steady deposit growth and ongoing initiatives to expand electronic and digital payments. TKBB’s secretary general noted that Turkey has ten Islamic banks, including three fully digital banks, and that about 97% of banking transactions and payments in Turkey are executed electronically. Both sides agreed DAB will request TKBB to dispatch a technical team to assess the current state of electronic payments in Afghanistan and to conduct a technical review of DAB’s comprehensive plan, with DAB then determining operational priorities and implementing programmes across banking and non-banking sectors. The parties also agreed that TKBB support will include training programmes to build staff capacity and accelerate the rollout of digital payment systems.
Central Bank of Afghanistan 2025-11-20
Central Bank of Afghanistan and Participation Banks Association of Turkey set plan for technical review and training to expand electronic payments
The Central Bank of Afghanistan (Da Afghanistan Bank, DAB) and the Participation Banks Association of Turkey (TKBB) agreed to cooperate on enhancing Afghanistan's electronic payment infrastructure, focusing on technical capacity and training. DAB has fully transitioned to Sharia-compliant banking, with ongoing efforts to expand digital payments. TKBB will send a technical team to assess Afghanistan's electronic payments and support training initiatives.