Afghan President Hamid Karzai has urged the country's huge �migr� population to return and invest, arguing that Afghans should set an example for foreign companies.

There is no country which has got wealthy from foreign donations

Hamid Karzai

Speaking at a seminar on trade and investment, Mr Karzai admitted that many Afghans were wary of bringing their money home because of corruption and bureaucracy.

But he promised that his government would make it easier to do business - something that it has neglected in its first six months in office.

Afghanistan's economy has been ruined by decades of war, and is now dependent on sluggish inflows of foreign aid.

Millions of Afghans have fled the country as refugees, notably the wealthy, educated middle class.

Wanted: More money

Mr Karzai acknowledged that foreign aid, however generous, could never be enough to stimulate the economy.

Mr Karzai admits that Afghanistan is not perfect

"There is no country which has got wealthy from foreign donations... we can be wealthy only through our own country's investments."

Afghanistan is believed to need some $15bn over the next 10-15 years, and donor have so far pledged $4.5bn, but delivered very little.

The current seminar, organised by the Swiss Peace Foundation, intends to hammer out ways to make the country's business climate more attractive.

Presentations will be made by all main ministers, and representatives from the business community have been invited to make their case.

Business leaders are to present a wish-list to Afghan ministers when the conference ends on Sunday.

Nowhere to go

A major problem facing Mr Karzai and his government concerns not the investment climate, but a lack of initiatives to invest in.

Most Afghans took their money abroad

Afghan industry, never strong, has almost ceased to exist. The country's most famous exports, carpets, are almost all made by refugees in camps in Pakistan and Iran.

Heavy industry is non-existent, and the country is not believed to have substantial mineral reserves.

Agriculture remains the backbone of the country's economy.

Among other produce, Afghanistan's nuts and dates are prized around Central Asia.